Surrey Teacher Arrested After Confiscating Daughters’ iPads in Parenting Dispute

Surrey, UK – April 14, 2025: A Surrey woman says she was left traumatized after being arrested on suspicion of theft for confiscating her daughters’ iPads during a parenting dispute.

Vanessa Brown, a 50-year-old history teacher from Cobham, was taken into custody on March 26 after police responded to a report of concern for safety at her home. The case unfolded rapidly when a man in his 40s, reportedly connected to the family, claimed the iPads had been stolen. Police launched an investigation and tracked the devices to a second address, where Brown initially denied knowing their whereabouts.

Brown, who described the incident as “traumatizing,” was arrested after refusing to immediately hand over the iPads. The devices were later located during a post-arrest search. She was held in custody for more than seven hours, fingerprinted, photographed, and subjected to a medical risk assessment. Her solicitor was not contacted for the first three hours of detention.

Brown said, “It was just a complete overreaction. At no point did the officers think to themselves, ‘Oh, this is a little bit of an overreaction for a moment, temporarily confiscating her iPads and popping over to her mum’s to have a coffee.’”

Brown also criticized the officers’ behavior toward her elderly mother, saying, “They were speaking to my mother, who is in her 80s, like she was a criminal.”

The following day, Surrey Police confirmed the iPads belonged to Brown’s children and that she had full parental authority to remove them as a form of discipline. The case was subsequently dropped with no further action taken.

Brown was initially released on conditional bail, which prohibited her from contacting anyone involved in the case, including her children. She has since expressed shock at the speed and severity of the police response, calling the incident “thoroughly unprofessional.”

Surrey Police have not yet commented on the specifics of the officer’s conduct during the arrest. The incident has sparked debate over parental rights and the appropriateness of police intervention in domestic disputes.

About The Author