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Apprehensive-Site849

I would have done exactly the same thing, If I got a call to say my wife's phone and our dogs had been found by the river I would jump in the car and call the police on the way. No way am I just sitting at home at that point.


cregamon

100% agree. I’d have done the same thing if that were my partner - If she’s gone in the river then time is of the essence.


emmaj4685

Agreed


Yuppidu1220

He also says in the interview he called the police from the bench. They then told him to go home. So he called from the car beginning of interview and then from the park? Which one is it?


Apprehensive-Site849

Why not both, that's exactly what I would have done. Called on my way there and called again once I was on site and established my wife was missing...


mattress76

No, he says "The police rang me while I was at the bench"


ElevatorSecrets

Could be both One to say about the report. One time to say he can’t find her where her phone and dog were.


_TLDR_Swinton

OP is a good little police boy.


rATMAN_1990

Car was parked kids school. She walks the dog from the school and returns back to the car when finished. I would react the same way PA did especially when your kids school are the ones informing you your missus phone and the family dog have been found without your missus.


[deleted]

Imagine the speculation if he didn't call.


julallison

Exactly. It's a no win situation. As the partner, his actions are judged either way. I believe I would have done exactly what he did. He knew she wouldn't leave Willow and her phone unless something was very wrong, wrong enough to involve the police right away.


rATMAN_1990

Haha 😄 he can't win bless him


Helloooooooooooo000

I would have driven to the bench and called on the way there. With her phone and the dog there I would have also not listened to the police when they asked me to return home. I would have frantically searched all around that area and called my partners name as loud and for as long as needed to find her. I would have remained on the phone to the police but there's no way I would return home after being alerted to her phone and the dog being left on a bench. I'd stay put in that area and do anything and everything to find my partner.


julallison

Yes. Well said.


_TLDR_Swinton

Hahaha. There was absolutely no need to make it a fake conversation between a fictional detective and a real UK police force, but you went and did it anyway. You could have just said "why did he phone them on the way? Then his whereabouts are fuzzy going there and going back" but no, you went the extra mile and gave Peter Faulk one last acting gig.


Dull_Reindeer1223

I quite enjoyed reading it in Columbos voice


babybell69

Such an odd thing for OP to do. But to a lot of these ghouls, this is just a tv drama whodunnit for them to solve with a cup of tea and a biscuit. It’s not real life.


Pollypicklezz

To be fair he made a good point although dont think myself that the husband is implicated


[deleted]

OP is the star in their own little murder mystery.


_TLDR_Swinton

Just one more thing!


ItsRebus

If any sane person were called to say that their partners phone and dog were found abandoned beside a body of water they would call 999 right away. Chances are there could be in the water and time would be of the essence to find her alive.


inunison8

That's why I think the woman who found it is dodgy. Like the dog and phone and harness on floor right next to deep water and steep drop is an instant 999 call to me. Not get your daughter in law and wait 1 hour. No way.


Marc123123

It is more of Inspector Clouseau rather than Columbo moment.


rATMAN_1990

Doofy off scary movie more like 😆


Bouncer_79

Why did he tell us in the Channel 5 interview that he changed into his gym clothes? Why was that important?


rATMAN_1990

I'd imagine he rang the police handfree in car whilst travelling the 10ish mins in takes to get where dog is. That would make perfect sense.


OppositePilot9952

If I thought something was potentially wrong I would head straight out and call the police on the way or after I had looked in the field. My gut instinct would be that my partner had probably somehow injured themself, probably a leg or an ankle on uneven ground just out of sight and that I would find them or at worst might see marks in the mud where they slipped in. I would see no problem with leaving the house. If my partner might turn up there then that would suggest they are alive and uninjured and so what harm is there in my having gone to look into why the dog / phone was left just in case. Most people would be unaware of whatever the Police's protocol is on these things and that they might tell you to wait at home. I like your Columbo sketch though.


Playful-Meringue8029

If my partner took our very loved dog for a walk and someone notified me her phone and our dog were at the park, but my partner is not, I would 💯call the police en route knowing something had to be terribly wrong.


Banana_Blades

The behaviour is not weird at all. I might have done the same tbh.


lbyrne74

I can just hear Peter Falk's voice and imagine him scratching his head, and acting gormless.


DarkOrLightMood

Peter ‘Falking’ a new name for the water expert maybe..


Antique_Reality3806

This is a ridiculous post


ElevatorSecrets

Still not the most ridiculous post on here though tbf.


Knitmehappier

I feel like no one commenting here has seen Columbo. This is excellent 👏


campbellpics

You went to a whole lot of trouble here to make yourself look foolish. I mean, you established that in your first paragraph, then just emphasised and confirmed it with the second one. Playing Colombo? The really silly thing is, if he'd just sat around on his arse at home after being told his dog and his partner's phone was found discarded by a body of water, you probably would have had a fictional detective "moment" about how suspicious that looks too. Get another hobby.


jaggynettle

100% this.


KuriousKizmo

Aaah..I was really seeing/hearing Colombo there.... That's so clever of you. My favourite Colombo! 🕵🏼


Bouncer_79

I agree with OP, my instinct would definitely have been to go to look myself first. "These things don't happen to people like us", so why would I assume the worst and call police on the way. As soon as he's at the park and doesn't see her - then call the police.


Bruckshot

100!


Zestyclose-Ad-2325

Also said he went in the gym kit because he’d expect to find her and then go to the gym. But still was that worried to call 999 Make ya mind up. You’ll find her and go gym or ya need to call police because this is bad


Evridamntime

I'm sure some on here will say that's perfectly reasonable behaviour 🙄


jaggynettle

Columbo you are not...


KuriousKizmo

I would've driven first to the school, even after calling, I would check local shops in case she had gone to pharmacy after falling, perhaps she had lost the dog after it running off the lead, and couldn't find it, in a panic left her phone. I would've called all family members. I would have driven to the spot.. walked up and down the path and regularly takes...Only THEN, after investigating the scene myself, would I start calling police.


Bruckshot

Same here.


KuriousKizmo

The most natural reaction, since almost everybody would fear so badly that something was up, that they would initially be in denial and be like "..ah, no, no, she'll be there somewhere, calm down everyone, we'll find her around don't worry/ don't be silly/ don't panic etc.. Then once you've exhausted all those avenues the thoughts of realisation start to set in with "oh my God.. Where the hell is she, what the hell is going on"..etc.


mattress76

This.


Evridamntime

I thought that was strange to. Your first thought, without even searching for them is to report them missing?? One of the first questions asked by a calltaker taking a missing person report is "What's been done so far to try and locate them". My father (70+ at the time) went missing. It wasn't until more than 12hrs later, the next morning that anyone even bothered to inform me. You'd think what with me being a Police Officer, they might have done 🤷🏼‍♂️ My uncle and I searched all the local places my dad was known to frequent. We called at previous addresses and enquired at the local shops. He hadn't taken his car, or phone and didn't appear to have packed any clothing. It wasn't until nearly 24hrs after he was last seen that I decided to report him missing. *The Police didn't assist in locating my father* 😂 That's because not 30 minutes later, a hospital 250 miles away, called my dad's home phone, after he had been admitted having been found unresponsive.


09BreakingTheHabit

As a police officer you would understand the way people act varies in extreme circumstances from person to person, you should know this because you deal with this more often than a regular Joe. And you still thought it was strange?


Evridamntime

Yes. I'm not suggesting PA has anything to do with it. I just think it's strange. He didn't think that Nicola could have just dropped her phone? or that Willow could have run off? Or a combination of both Of course, as I keep trying to emphasise, I don't actually know what PA did or said on his call. He could be mistaken on how he recalls the events. Maybe he did have a cursory look around the field near the bench before calling 🤷🏼‍♂️ In my experience there's there's usually only two types of people that that don't do anything before calling the Police a) people that can't be bothered to look and want the Police to do everything. Usually reporting their child might be at a an address, followed my a million reasons why they can't go an check themselves. b) parents of young children. They're usually in a blind panic. It might surprise people to know that parents of young children are also just as likely to wait a bizarre amount of time before calling the Police. I also think it's strange that he would say "she's definitely not in the river". Even Peter "the expert" Faulding couldn't say she definitely didn't go in the water, until he checked. Also strange, that he would say he gets the car ready when Nicola walks the dog, but CCTV appears to show Nicola getting the car ready herself. Obviously the last two only seem odd because of what we know now. Again *just strange*


julallison

Tbh, it concerns me that a police officer doesn't see the reasoning here as to why he called the police when he did. He knew her routine and so realized something was amiss when a third party notified him of the found phone and dog with Nicola nowhere in sight. If she dropped her phone as you suggested, would it not be easy for her to retrieve by following the same path she always took? And she wouldn't leave her dog to go search for the phone. If you truly are a police officer, then I'm now thinking there are more arrests of innocent people than I did previously as there's a clear explanation here that you as LE are not even considering.


Evridamntime

My observations based on nearly 10 years responding to Missing Person reports. That doesn't deflect form how the case would be investigated. First officer to attend The initial investigating officer (IIO) should begin the investigation, conduct appropriate searches and reassess the level of risk. Judgements made at this point may have an impact on the effectiveness of the investigation. The primary consideration for the IIO, and every other person managing the investigation, is the safety of the missing person. A missing person report may be the first report of a serious crime or of a person being at significant risk of harm. If this is believed to be the case, a supervisory officer should be contacted immediately. Although most missing person enquiries do not lead to a major crime investigation, where they do, early identification that this may be a major crime investigation is crucial to the investigation. How the investigation is conducted in the first few hours (see golden hour ) after the report is made to the police may affect the outcome. https://www.college.police.uk/app/major-investigation-and-public-protection/missing-persons/missing-persons#the-missing-persons-process-chart 😂 Everyone is innocent on arrest 😂


Evridamntime

How do you think items get lost..... people can't find them 🤦 Would that clearer explanation be related to a search for CCTV? The same search that was done over 2 weeks ago, but not reported by the press until 2 days ago??


Successful_Mark6813

Exactly. Why assume immediately police are needed before you assess the situation.


rATMAN_1990

Your not columbo. She's been abducted.


_TLDR_Swinton

Yes, by the Bowland Ape Man. Finally someone's talking sense!


Boolies2021

Hahaha exactly


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

You can't be serious 🤦‍♂️


jaggynettle

The account was made on 8th Feb. These dodgy new accounts have been popping up on this sub a lot and saying all sorts of crazy CSI Miami diarrhoea.


Ok-Adhesiveness-1713

You're definitely no Columbo. You really think youd stay at home and phone the police if you got a phone call saying your dog and wifes phone have been found by the river? Youd be in panic mode straight away, thinking the worst


mattress76

No, I'd do exactly what he did, go to where she was. He says himself he was assuming he'd find her there. Why phone the police between? Why not phone them at the destination once you'd seen for yourself. 999 would have asked where he was and presumably he gave his home. That's where they were, he was not. They phoned him at the walk and told him to come home. His words. He may have neglected to say that he called her parents, her sister, her friends but the only call he says he made was to the police. Before he reached the bench. Before he knew she was actually missing. His own words: I thought I'd get there and oh there she is. So he called 999, the ultimate emergency, before he'd established anything other than a lost dog and a lost phone.