Man arrested for charging iPhone on London overground train

A commuter was arrested for using a plug on a London Overground train to charge his iPhone.

Artist Robin Lee, 45, from Islington, London, was arrested on the platform at Camden Road and taken away in a police van after the incident while travelling from Hackney Wick on Friday 10 July.

He has called the whole thing 'ridiculous' and said it should never have happened.

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He said he was first confronted by a police community support officer, who said he was taking the electricity illegally.

Speaking to the Standard, he explained: "We were just coming into the station, and there happened to be about four police officers on the platform.

"She called to them and said 'This guy's been abstracting electricity, he needs to be arrested'."

He reportedly tried to push past the officers, and was then handcuffed, arrested and put in the police van.

He was de-arrested for the phone-charging offence but then rearrested for "unacceptable behaviour".

He added: "I was just incredulous.

"It was an overzealous community support officer.

"They should never have arrested me, they knew it was ridiculous. The whole thing was just ridiculous."

According to the Guardian, abstracting electricity is an offence under section 13 of the Theft Act 1968, and carries a maximum custodial sentence of five years.

British Transport police said in a statement: "We were called to Camden Road London Overground station on Friday 10 July to a report of a man becoming aggressive when challenged by a PCSO about his use of a plug socket onboard an Overground train.

"Shortly after 3.30pm, a 45-year-old man from Islington was arrested on suspicion of abstracting electricity, for which he was de-arrested shortly after. He was further arrested for unacceptable behaviour and has been reported for this offence."

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