A French Instagram prankster who films himself harassing London Underground passengers without a face mask claims he spent four days in a cell for live streaming a trip to the shops during lockdown.
Bule Mbelu Boris Becker – who goes by Mr Boris Becker online – was arrested for being out of the house ‘without a reasonable excuse’ on Saturday and was locked up for four days.
Prosecutors have now dropped the charge for breaching lockdown – but the 27-year-old claims ‘there is no justice’ and police treated him like a ‘criminal’.
Becker, 27, has amassed more than 1.8 million Instagram followers who watch him play pranks on unsuspecting public transport passengers and pedestrians.
In several of his videos, Becker pretends to be blind and walks with a cane on a moving Tube carriage.
French Instagram prankster Bule Mbelu Boris Becker (pictured) claims he spent four days in a cell for live streaming a trip to the shops during lockdown
He stumbles – prompting nearby passengers to jump up to help – before bursting into dance and revealing he is not disabled after all.
In another video, Becker pretends to lose his balance on the Tube and throws himself around to the beat of a remixed song.
Unlike the passengers he tricks, Becker fails to wear a mask – despite face coverings being mandatory on all public transport.
In England’s third national lockdown, people can only leave the house for essential reasons such as to buy food or to exercise.
Earlier this month, Becker and a friend pretended attack unassuming pedestrians – before stopping and putting on face masks.
Becker, 27, has amassed more than 1.8 million Instagram followers who watch him play pranks on unsuspecting Tube passengers and pedestrians. In several of his videos, Becker pretends to be blind and walks with a cane on a moving Tube carriage (pictured)
Becker claims he was livestreaming his trip to the supermarket to buy food on Saturday and was two minutes away from his home in Embankment when he was stopped by police.
Prosecutors have now dropped the charge for breaching lockdown – but the 27-year-old (pictured) claims ‘there is no justice’ and police treated him like a ‘criminal’
They told him to go home but returned to arrest him when he failed to do so.
Becker said he remained in custody since his arrest on Saturday.
A legal advisor today apologised to Mr Becker for his time in a cell, adding: ‘That is so, so bad, I am so, so sorry you have been in custody for so long.’
Becker wore a rainbow Puffa jacket as he was lead into the dock today.
When asked if he was arrested on Tuesday, he replied: ‘No, I was arrested on Saturday. I’m a YouTuber. I’m very famous in France. My name is Boris Becker.
‘I’ve been here Saturday so that is Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Four days.’
After he was released from the dock, Mr Mbelu told media waiting outside the court: ‘I don’t understand what happened. I feel so sad and this was so disrespectful.
In another video, Becker pretends to lose his balance on the Tube and throws himself around to the beat of a remixed song (pictured)
‘I have been four days in the cell for nothing. That is not normal, that is crazy. It’s f***** up.
‘We wanted to buy something, just food. Then we meet the police. They said go back home silly boy. I said OK.
‘Three or four minutes later I see [the police] coming. I knew it was for us.
‘They take me like I’m a criminal [with] handcuffs. I feel so bad. I feel there is no justice.
Becker claims he was livestreaming his trip to the supermarket to buy food on Saturday and was two minutes away from his home in Embankment when he was stopped by police. Pictured: A map showing Becker’s home and the distance to where he was arrested
‘In the van they said “oh a YouTuber with 1.8 million followers”. I didn’t say anything about that. They told me I was famous.
‘They said you’re going to the cell.’
He described his cell as ‘seriously not good’ and claimed it left him in ‘pain which was so strong’.
Mr Mbelu’s cousin Tairo Tavares said he was fined £200 for being with Becker – but says officers ‘were only interested’ in his relative.
Mr Tavares said: ‘Officers took my name and details. They told him go home, go home. As we were walking my cousin was streaming because obviously he’s famous.
Earlier this month, Becker and a friend pretended attack unassuming pedestrians – before stopping and putting on face masks (pictured)
‘They found his Instagram they were watching his live-stream so they came back to us. They were looking at us and came back and that’s when we started running home quickly.
‘We went into home they stopped in front of us and went straight to my cousin like they didn’t even see me.
‘I told them can I come with him as well because he doesn’t really speak English.
‘They asked my cousin if he had ID then they said you’re under arrest. I said for what reason. Why didn’t they take me?’
Becker was charged with being a person living in a Tier 4 area who left the place they were living without a reasonable excuse.
The charge has now been dropped by the CPS.