Instagram Prankster Jailed For Four Days For Breaking Coronavirus Restrictions

A London-based Instagram prankster has spent four days in jail, after being arrested for breaking coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Boris Becker, who is known for performing viral stunts on social media, was said to be just moments away from his home when he and a friend were stopped by police.

Becker says his friend was handed a £200 fine, but he was taken to a cell, where he was kept in custody for four days, before appearing in Westminster Magistrates yesterday, January 26.

‘YouTuber Boris Becker has just appeared in Westminster mags having been in custody since Saturday for breaking coronavirus restrictions,’ Court News reporter Charlie Jones tweeted.

Jones went on to say the arrest was simply for Becker being outside his address, rather than for a more severe breach such as hosting a party.

‘His girlfriend tells me he was two minutes from his home,’ he added. ‘His friend was fined £200 and released, but for some reason Becker was jailed for four days.’

The court clerk is reported to have told the prankster: ‘That’s so so bad, I’m so so sorry you’ve been in custody for so long,’ before reportedly releasing him before the magistrates even returned.

‘This is so f*cked up,’ Becker said in a video outside the Magistrates court, adding, ‘I feel there is no justice.’

Becker’s friend, who also appeared on the video, said he tried calling the police station over and over to find out what had happened to the YouTuber, but no one would explain what was going on.

A document, which Jones shared to Twitter, explains the reason for arrest as being, ‘Person living in Tier 4 area, leave/were outside of place where living, without reasonable excuse.’

Police in England are permitted to hand out on the spot fines of £200 to anyone who is breaching coronavirus restrictions, however it’s practically unheard of for someone to be taken to a cell and held for simply being outside of their home.

Under current lockdown restrictions, residents in the UK are permitted to leave their homes for exercise – which includes going for walks – and are permitted to exercise with one other person who is not from their household, as long as social distancing and other measures are still applied.

Becker believes he may have been targeted by police because of his online fame, claiming the officers laughed and mocked him for having 1.8 million followers on YouTube.