Couple held after burglars shot

[BadFish]

So you're standing there eye to eye with the burglar thinking that you must follow the due process of law. Mmm, me thinks that perhaps you will have more important things on your mind like, for instance, how you could protect yourself/family in the quickest most no nonsense means available to you.

So a kid is standing face to face with the homeowner of the house they are burgling. What got them to this point? a string of bad decisions, a drug habit, who knows? it happens? They are really a good kid, they just need some help to get back on track, to put their life back toegether. The home owner pulls a gun and pulls the trigger.

Is this okay, this kid could have been rehabilitated, could have lived a decent life.

For every emotive scene you can conjure to support your point there is one to support the other. luckily the law doesn't work that way!

 

[jackanada]

Why people keep getting het up when our legal system has a good record of upholding your right to defend your home and family is beyond me.
The tony martin case was an exception - he had a history of threatening behaviour and misuse pf firearms and his firearms license had been withdrawn. He shot a man leaving his property in the back - so while still a scrote obviously not posing a threat to him. It was an act of calculated revenge performed with an illegal firearm. The police's failings before that point in time still dont alter that he got a light sentence for that crime even before it was appealed.
Still this scaremongering sure does shift some papers.

 

[jackanada]

I would not hesitate to shoot anyone that I saw as a threat on my property.

Even with a firearms licence keeping a loaded gun to hand would constitute a criminal offence.
Move go america (texas is a good choice) and then you can shoot the odd person for walking up your drive. Blacks or hispanics will take less expaining.

 

[edna krabappel]

Why people keep getting het up when our legal system has a good record of upholding your right to defend your home and family is beyond me.
The tony martin case was an exception - he had a history of threatening behaviour and misuse pf firearms and his firearms license had been withdrawn. He shot a man leaving his property in the back - so while still a scrote obviously not posing a threat to him. It was an act of calculated revenge performed with an illegal firearm. The police's failings before that point in time still dont alter that he got a light sentence for that crime even before it was appealed.
Still this scaremongering sure does shift some papers.

Praise the lord. A bit of rationality.

These people have only been arrested, as you would expect under the circumstances if somebody has been killed. They'll be questioned, the matter investigated and a decision taken by the CPS as to whether there's a case to answer or whether the force used was reasonable. Then they'll be charged or released completely.

People are acting like they've been tried & found guilty here...ridiculous. Wait and see.

 

[Norman Potting]

Not being funny but there are as many cases of people being cleared for this by common sense judges:

Vincent Cooke: Homeowner cleared of murder after stabbing suspected burglar | Mail Online
Murder charge against man who killed burglar to be dropped - Telegraph
CLEARED: MAN WHO KILLED A BURGLAR | UK News | Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/815666-killing-a-burglar-was-not-murder

Regardless of the moral argument about self-defence, is it really that surprising that someone would get arrested for killing someone? Otherwise what's to stop someone murdering someone else, dragging their body into their home and then claiming they were breaking in? If they applied reasonable force and were acting in self-defence the case will be kicked out, this is just an excuse for the self-righteous to work themselves up into a tizzy and use the police as a scapegoat.

Thank you, my thoughts entirely. I will reserve judgement until facts are known, preferably not the Mail or Express ones.

 

[beorhthelm]

So you're standing there eye to eye with the burglar thinking that you must follow the due process of law. Mmm, me thinks that perhaps you will have more important things on your mind like, for instance, how you could protect yourself/family in the quickest most no nonsense means available to you.

so you're there as you say. they motion away... you still going to shot them? we have to distingiush between an act of vengence and an act of justice, we dont know the details the circumstances so in the first instance we have to take all parties into custody to determine the facts. or we can just allow people to shoot others. presumably this extends to things like allowing mantraps, maybe electrifing our vehicles as a defence to theft. bring back hanging and don't spare the silly jury business when someone is caught redhanded?

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Having been burgled, I wouldn't use a firearm. Mainly for the reason I wouldn't want my fists to miss out on all the fun.

 

[Dr Q]

Regardless of the moral issue, they would have broken the law by simply threatening or pointing the shotgun at the burglers/intruders hence they would have been arrested anyway. Discharging the gun at them really then does ramp up the seriousness of the offence. At the very least I expect they will never get a shotgun or firearms certificate again as they have committed a firearms offence. Given the sensitivities of gun related crime, I doubt very much they will get out of this very easily.

For what its worth, I morally I think they are in the right, but sadly legally I think they'll get the book chucked at them. As a gun owner myself, it irks me that these situations also give more credence to the saps in the anti-shooting lobby!

 

[Triggaaar]

I'm not sure I could shoot anyone!!!

Never sober enough?

 

[Leekbrookgull]

I'm not sure I could shoot anyone!!! but if someone entered my property and I thought were going to harm me or my kids - I'd do whatever it takes to try and stop them?

Therefore you would and so would i. Tony Martins error was he did not kill both.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Having been burgled, I wouldn't use a firearm. Mainly for the reason I wouldn't want my fists to miss out on all the fun.

Nice answer.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

the whole system is failing, we should be looking towards a point where wealth and opportunity are spread evenly enough not to cause people to rob in the first place. At this point given that everyone has the opportunity to live a meaningful life, those that choose not to should be punished severely early to dissuade them from a life of crime.

Aw c'mon....do you honestly think that if everybody had the same wealth there would be no more robbery,burgarly,muggings...crimminals always want more, what other people have earnt...if you don't enter,trespass in other peoples property you don't get shot or attacked by someone defending what is their property....I can assure you that I have a very forgiving nature,but if my home was invaded by a scummy burglar who threatened my family or property and I had a chance to take him out then I would...maybe if it was your house you might have a different point of view...but I really hope it does'nt happen to you.

 

[Lady Gull]

Never sober enough?

Lol is probably the correct answer!!! Xx

 

[OSRGull]

It's hard to say IMO, who's to say them people committing the robbery werent to have a knife in their pocket ready to use. There's so many IF's and BUT's but it's easy for us to say as we have time to think about it, they have a split second to decide what they're gonna do. I'm not saying it was right though.

 

[tip top]

the law is on there side - we dont know all the facts. They have been held by the police to try to accertain the facts. I dont agree with any burglar robbing a house. But the law needs to see what happened. Is it right that you chase a burglar out of your house and shoot him/her in the back as they run away. If they have done what you say there will be no charges under reasonable force. My understanding was Tony Martin laid in wait an shot one of them in the back in the garden... i could be wrong. Just my opinion.

So they run away with your tv and belongings and you cant do the robbing bastards?! Have you ever been burgled? I doubt it by your feeble post. Get a grip fella. Tony martin was protecting his home and honour. Jeez i give up.

 

[Brighton TID]

Even with a firearms licence keeping a loaded gun to hand would constitute a criminal offence.
Move go america (texas is a good choice) and then you can shoot the odd person for walking up your drive. Blacks or hispanics will take less expaining.

Maybe the answer would be to bannish the burglars to the naughty step until they realise the severity of their crime and promise not to rob any other innocent people.

 

[Brighton TID]

So a kid is standing face to face with the homeowner of the house they are burgling. What got them to this point? a string of bad decisions, a drug habit, who knows? it happens? They are really a good kid, they just need some help to get back on track, to put their life back toegether. The home owner pulls a gun and pulls the trigger.

Is this okay, this kid could have been rehabilitated, could have lived a decent life.

For every emotive scene you can conjure to support your point there is one to support the other. luckily the law doesn't work that way!

Yep, no problem shooting them before they pull the knife and stab you, and certainly before they explain that are really a 'good kid'

 

[Seagull58]

Really? I thought you were using the fishing rod? Or just a privileged background is it? Be grateful you didn't have their childhood.

What the hell do you know about their childhood? Shame the householder only wounded two of them and didn't blow all their heads off their shoulders.

 

[Seagull58]

WTF

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

I think that if you enter someone's property with the intent to steal their belongings or do them harm then you should lost many of your rights.
If we got burgled, I wouldn't think twice about smacking him with a cricket bat if it wasn't for the likelihood that I'd be the one who gets done for it.

I would totally agree but I am afraid I couldn't do that as I don't have a cricket bat!

Have a Taylor Made R9 Pro though which by my reckoning would put the said assailant about 250 yards up my road and with a bit of luck he or unlikely she would be in a hole!

TNBA

TTF