A Pence of Power and a Paucity of Sense: London Police Drop Case Against Film Maker For Stealing .003 Pence in Electricity — After Spending $8,200

Mark Guard, 44, is a film maker and electricity thief. Arrested for stealing .003 pence of power, the police and prosecutors spent $8,200 prosecuting Guard before dropping the case and finally letting their Guard down.

Guard was filming a documentary about crime and the homeless when he filmed squatters going through an open window in an abandoned building. A security system was triggered and Guard (who happens to be a former electrician) took it upon himself to turn off the alarm so not to bother neighbors. He briefly turned on the electricity to spot the box. The police arrived, learned that he turned on the electricity and charged him with stealing .003 pence of electricity.

What is fascinating about this story is that neither the police nor the prosecutors were disciplined for allowing such a frivolous case to go forward — requiring multiple appearances in court.

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