Discuss

[marchantsuk]

The response time where I live is pretty slow. Here's how one old couple solved the problem.

George Phillips, an elderly man was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?"

He said "No," but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me.

The police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available" George said, "Okay."

He hung up the phone and counted to 30.Then he phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I just shot and killed them both, the dogs are eating them right now" and he hung up.

Within five minutes, six Police cars, a SWAT Team, a helicopter, two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

Fantastic

 

[sars]

If someone enters your home illegaly you should have the right to defend it with reasonable force.

 

[Finisterre]

you do have the right to defend it with reasonable force.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-defence_in_English_law

 

[mrlozzer]

you do have the right to defend it with reasonable force.

The first words under the appropriate section on the Wikipedia section for reasonable force are "Opinions differ on what constitutes reasonable force". That is the problem in a nutshell... it shouldn't be a matter of opinion - for the Police, for a judge or a jury - the definition should be unambiguous, or rather as unambiguous as is possible.

But special consideration has to be given to the extreme stress caused by such incidences. I for one have no idea how I would react - and I hope that I never have cause to find out. And I suspect that it would be impossible to use a yardstick.

The issue, I think, is that most of the Law that applies to this was written at a time where criminals behaved in a very different way. I'm not saying that aggravated burglaries have always taken place. But, I am more sure that today, most householders would be far, far more fearful of violence than before, from the numerous sad cases that are reported in the Press with alarming frequency. And the threat of violence - real or perceived - is a compelling factor that must be taken into account in these situations.

 

[Finisterre]

I agree that there are loads of concerns. I just can't see how we would do it differently. After an incident the police run through a standard assessment and forward details to the CPS. They decide if a prosecution is required, likely to succeed and if it would be in the public interest. A court then decides what outcome is appropriate. Appeals are available.

How else could you do it?

 

[ksher]

If someone enters your home illegaly you should have the right to defend it with reasonable force.

+1

 

[RickH]

this case i believe is slightly different to the martin case.

if my memory is correct Martin had an illegual shatgun (his was previously taken from him before by the police and his certificate revoked) he obtained another and then use that and killed with it.

Being arrested is a first assement to establish facts as Finistere says.

Protocols need to be followed and evidence secured. And interviews taken in a way to ensure that parties can not influence each other.

 

[Anonymous]

The response time where I live is pretty slow. Here's how one old couple solved the problem.

George Phillips, an elderly man was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?"

He said "No," but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me.

The police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available" George said, "Okay."

He hung up the phone and counted to 30.Then he phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I just shot and killed them both, the dogs are eating them right now" and he hung up.

Within five minutes, six Police cars, a SWAT Team, a helicopter, two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

That's priceless

 

[Breaker]

As far as I'm concerned if you knowingly trespass on somebody's private domestic property to commit aggravated burglary (or any kind of crime) then you deserve everything you get.

+1

 

[Anonymous]

If it happened to me and I caused injury or death to an intruder I would worry about the consequences afterwards, anyones first instinct is to defend family and home, if some bottom feeding scrote bag ended up dead on my livingroom floor and I did time for it then so be it, I would take comfort in the fact that aforementioned scumbag wont be ruining anyone elses life.
the law in this country is an ass it is set up to defend the criminals rights and not those of the innocent, I would GLADLY hang these scrote bags and settle down for a 3 course lunch afterwards.
5 or 6 years ago my daughter who was 16 at the time was set upon in a shop with cctv by 2 girls from her school, she sustained heavy facial bruising and they even tried to break her ribs by stamping on her, this all happened in front of customers and staff in the shop who gave evidence that my Daughter was set upon with no warning or discussion before hand because the 2 assailants were under the age of 16 they effectively got away with it, my daughter however was arrested and charged with breach of the peace, the police chose to arrest her at 11pm that night after knocking on the door and insisting we get her out of bed. kept in cells overnight.(why did they attack her? one of the attackers boyfriends asked my daughter out (she said no)
So I am sure you will forgive my somewhat biased opinions that the law is F******G absurd
The law should simple, choose to break it then you choose to accept the consequences. unfortunatly greedy backstabbing lawyers have a different view.