Given the chance, I always bang the "don't talk to authorities" drum. So now you have to wonder, how did his "copious admissions" help him? Seriously, if you are suspected of anything, no matter how innocuous or momentous: Shut. The. Hell. Up. Get a damned attorney.
Of course the classic video needs to be linked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_warning#England_and_Wal...
F.U.D. made law. Well done England.
Fortunately England still requires a Jury, and Jury's still acquit people despite the police and prosecution spouting outright lies from the moment a person is arrested. If you naively believe that the police do not do so, see if anyone in your circle of friends is a defense lawyer/solicitor who has represented people at police stations and have a candid conversation with them.
If you get arrested in the UK (or anywhere) shut up and say only "I invoke my right to silence. Get me my lawyer."
They are their own breed of scum you have to avoid like the plague as they sleep, eat and drink with the arresting officers and are definitely not impartial. Actually that is pretty much the same for most of the legal profession in the UK. Half of them are friends, the other go to the same masonic lodges - fine example at [1]
The UK is 100% guilty until proven innocent.
As for trial by Jury - seriously speaking they are usually manned by idiots most of the time.
[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/police-def...
That is, unfortunately, a universal problem anywhere that there are jury trials.
Cops are people too and when they walk up to your window after pulling you over, they may actually be scared. And you know fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to your suffering in traffic court.
So the next cop who pulls you over, wind down your window before he gets there, get your drivers license out so you don't have to fish your pockets, put your hands on the wheel so he can see you're not going to blow his brains out and if it's not more than 20 miles over the limit, try admitting guilt and being nice. You might be surprised.
Both are cops. But they are entirely different people.
Reaching for anything when pulled over is the absolute worst thing you can do to an officer no matter how innocuous you may think you seem.
Please, just keep your hands on the wheel until they're at the window.
That's because, in those countries, it NEVER happens (i.e for someone pulled over to shoot the cop). So you can go get your ID or whatever, and then you have a chat, and they maybe give you a fine for speeding or whatever.
Wow you must be really good at that. In all my life I never managed to talk myself out of a ticket once I was stopped by the police.
This is not your best strategy if:
(a) You are driving on a suspended license
(b) You or anyone in your car have anything in the car to hide
(c) You have a radar detector (just give up)
I bring this up because, for me at least, there's no skill involved in "talking my way out of a ticket". There's no magic words, and it doesn't involve charm, just a little mindfulness.
The 65 in a 55 I pulled over as soon as I saw him slow down to turn around, the rest of the time I just admitted I was probably going too fast. Again, nothing special just mindfulness.
The important thing to keep in mind of course is that with a speeding ticket, at worse you'll have to pay a few bucks for something you maybe even didn't do. This is as opposed to spending a few years in jail for a crime you did not commit...
If you're caught speeding, suck it up and take the ticket.
As stated above though, if you're accused of something serious just keep your mouth shut.
A cop who's investigating a real crime wants to get a conviction. And they aren't in a position to do plea bargaining (like a traffic cop), that's the DA's job (then the judge's, if it gets that far). It's not a terrible idea to negotiate with the DA and judge, but you need a lawyer to help you do it.
It's important to remember that there is not right to silence here, and Judges can make inferences based on a person's silence during police question.
Better advice is to ask for a solicitor, and say calmly that you'll only talk when you have legal representation.
If you're innocent it's important to give a minimal account (with legal representation) of your actions, because not doing so could lead to a false conviction.
Judges can do that here, too. No constitution can stop them from making inferences.
A US judge saying that would leave the case open to appeal.
When you are first arrested, you should plead the fifth (or the British equivalent thereof), and ask to see a lawyer.