UK - Can messages on msn that have been spyed be used as evidence?

[bennett211085]

Basically SWIM and his brother have been having conversations on msn that it turns out have been being monitered by his father, who used to be SWIMs step-dad. SWIMs brother has just started smoking weed and his father was so horrified to discover this, he rang up SWIMs mother to complain about SWIM (she thought it was funny).
Reviewing the conversations SWIM had with his brother there is a lot of stuff that is potentially great information for the police, e.i. things SWIM currently possesses.
My question is: Can his father/police, legally use that information against SWIM, seeing as it was obtained without SWIMs knowledge?

He will be trying to get whatever he can against SWIM, so SWIM needs to know.

The upside is now SWIM and his brother know they are being watched, they do there best to take the piss out of his dad lol. really makes SWIMs day.

[fiveleggedrat]

Anything can be used against you. ANYTHING. It does not matter whether you give them permission or not. Cops bust people all the time for shit they find that they have no business touching or going through (phones, cars, you name it!)

Besides that, unless Swiy's father is trying to build a case against you: Relax. No LE is going to bother with people like us, talking on the internet about drugs. Now, if you were drug dealing online, you have at least some reason to be worried. Still though: You'll be fine. You sound like you are overreacting.

Who is watching you? I guess you mean your father. Unless you happen to be a millionaire drug lord or doing stupid shit online (buying restricted drugs, precursors, etc), no feds are watching you.

EDIT: This whole post was written from a United States perspective. Generally, I think most things are going to carry over. I would not worry about it.

[bennett211085]

Thanks for the reply. No, SWIMs not going to worry about it then. Its not SWIMs father monitoring the messages, its SWIMs brothers dad, SWIMs old step-dad.

[Osni]

From what my pet tarantula's girlfriend can gather...

Infomation exchanged on MSN, by SMS, email, whatever is not in itself 'evidence'. This is largely, my tarantula has told me, due to the fact alot of sad acts send texts, or say in emails, that they are engaged in trades, or going to deals, when in fact they are not.

However, in a court case where SWIY is in trouble for possession, or cultivation, any electronic infomation gathered may 'mysteriously appear' for the prosecution, and it wont make the defences case any easier.

My radioactive self aware bic biro also reliably informs me that there was a problem a while ago in its neck of the woods where wannabe gangsters would carry around dried parsnips, and if stopped and search would claim it was ganj.

[bennett211085]

Originally Posted by Osni

My radioactive self aware bic biro also reliably informs me that there was a problem a while ago in its neck of the woods where wannabe gangsters would carry around dried parsnips, and if stopped and search would claim it was ganj.

WTF LOL, thats mental........

[Osni]

The biro tells me it died out pretty quickly due to the problems it was generating for the individuals boasting. The idea stil sticks though.

Messages, emails, SMS, or whatever, without physical evidence (or something like CCTV) cannot be used for very much. Plainly: SWIY may simply be 'boasting' to sound hard to their friends. If the police round the biros neck of the woods had investigated everyone claiming to be going to 'a big deal' (joking: when they had been grounded), or similar, they would likely still be processing people.

>>>>But don't do it anyway :P<<<<

[bennett211085]

yeah, SWIM doesn't say anything on it anymore to anyone that could be incriminating.

Why dried parsnips though?? that is going to bother me for ages.

[Osni]

After drying them if you flake them they look kind of simila to medicinal herbs. Hence, to someone who isn't that clued up on the look or smell of ganh, like everyone here, it can be confused with the real deal :P. They didn't sell it, just carried it to look cool.

Stay safe

[FrankenChrist]

I would also like to add that you would best keep incriminating stuff off your myspace, facebook, etc.

Potential employers do look at that stuff these days. All they have to do is google your name.