Defence of self.
I and my neighbour are amicably on opposite sides of a discussion which is in response to a news item in UK. Anyone who reads British newspapers will have read this yesterday they could not avoid the report. So those who read the British papers bare with me as I tell the story for those not aware of it. A 78 year old man asleep in bed with his sick wife, is woken by sounds down stairs, he goes to investigate. On reaching the lower floor he finds two intruders, one attacks him with a screw driver( I believe). The man is pushed into the kitchen by his attacker who is trying to stab him, in the struggle the attacker falls himself stabbed. The second intruder runs away, the stabbed attacker is later taken to hospital where he dies of his wounds. The police retain the 78 year old man in jail for two nights before he is awarded bail. This is up to date with the story.
It happened that I heard the dead attacker’s sister on the radio, the tone of her interview was thus ……disgraceful that he should been attacked and killed. He was a good father with kids and a good son. When asked what she thought the homeowner should have done, she thought he should have run away or called the police. He should not have got into a fight and killed her brother…….. My neighbour kind of supports the sister’s view of events but I said poppycock! If events happened as reported, the homeowner had no choice, he was attacked, if someone is trying to stab you, you resist as best as you can to save your life.Our elderly man did not go down stairs with the intent to kill someone but the intruder at the very least had a weapon and was prepared to threaten violently. There is another point , as we get older we do not take part in robust physical activity, so no doubt we loose judgement in our own strength. For instance, if I needed to hit an attacker over the head with with something heavy, I don’t know how to knock my attacker out and I don’t want to just have no effect except for make my attacker more violent…..so I’m going to hit as hard as I possibly can and I’m not thinking…is this the right degree of force.
I once read a report of a court case in Yorkshire……..A man was trying to rob a jewelry store by throwing a brick through the window. Unbeknown to the robber it was amoured glass, the brick hit the glass and bounced back hitting the robber in the eye. Unbelievably the robber was suing the jewelry shop owner for damages! The judge threw the court case out, saying what happened was no doubt an occupational hazard of being a robber.
I can feel sorry that kids have lost a father but the father should have thought about this before his criminal activity. According to the tabloid newspapers, this attacker has a long criminal record, has spent time in jail and in the pass conned about $500.000 of of older people, his usual prey. A life was lost that need not have been lost but I do not blame the homeowner. My neighbour thinks he has some degree of blame……………..What do you think?
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Interesting Stories
You break in then hell mend you.
This case has since progressed, the home owner is in hiding as he has been intimidated by relatives and friends of the criminal. They want revenge on the homeowner, who feels he has to sell his home and move from the community he has lived in for years. I repeat that I can feel sorry for a family deprived of a father and husband but that man chose to put his own life in danger, he attacked and pushed this elderly man into the kitchen threatening to stab him with a screwdriver. The elderly man resisted and in the struggle the criminal got on to the wrong end of his own screw driver. To para phrase………Live by the sword or screwdriver you are likely to die by the same.
I would probably do as the homework owner did if I could. I don’t want trouble, but if trouble comes into my home, I would do all in my power to eradicate it. It is sad that the man has had to suffer twice or three times for an attack in his home while he was sleeping. He was arrested, He is threatened, and he feels less safe Anand no one wants to take a life that is normal. I guess that is four and four too many.
I think I would have been too frightened to face the robbers and would have immediately called the police to come right away. To try to stop them you are taking your life in your hands. Your life is more valuable than what they would have been stealing.
This situation happened to my next door neighbors during the light of day. The mom was upstairs with her children while the vandals were trying to steal computers, iPads, etc. She stayed quiet and called the police. They were apprehended in their van upon leaving the premises.
Taking another’s life is legally wrong. Normally this should all have been kept quiet by the police until all statements were given. All this blabbing is causing the problem. His lawyer or public defender should have had the home owner released. I watch British police stories non stop.
Rose1943, You live where police come quickly, many people Live where they know they have to rely on themselves.
I hear what you say Rose and I think the problem is that most of us could be paralysed by fear.This poor man had an ill wife upstairs, as the intruder attacked him with the screwdriver he did not have much choice I guess.
I have seen this before or I should say ‘heard’ this. where the family of the robber, attacker whatever give a sob story about what a great person he was. BULL —-
Why is it ok for the attacker to stab the homeowner or victim but no ok for the victim to stab the attacker? He got what he deserved! The homeowner should be freed!! He was protecting His property, family!! Grrrrrr makes me so mad when the bad guy plays ‘victim and get away with it!
Because, have you noticed Sweet….everyone is a victim theses days. No one seems to every say OK it was my fault. They have not got the job they want, it’s not my fault I took no notice of the sign saying don’t swim dangerous currents, teachers hate me, so they give me bad
grades, parents have rules, so unfair and on and on.If you are a career criminal it is your fault I’d say. You are right it is maddening.
A good father with a heart of gold…..pfffttt………never worked…….made a living out of burgling…….brill role model for his children…….he put himself in that position and would have been ready to kill……..unfortunately for him the tables turned………unfortunately for the householder he can never return to the life he was once happy in…….
This is a very good example of the stupidity of English laws. They very often favour those that cause the problems. Many times I have read about the person being injured having to pay compensation to their attackers England must be the only stupid country in the world not just for this but for many other reasons.
slimjim, Us law is based on English law and in both the law is basically “a man’s home is his castle”, which means you can defend yourself but you cannot become an aggressor; once the danger is passed then you cannot keep fighting.
Laws usually make sense and the public does not know all the facts of a case.
Hello Rose a very good reply.Thanks for sending Jim
Thank you for your good attitude.
I think there has always been that old saying Slimjim……..The law is an ass…. I worry that there seem to be too many mistakes in law courts these days. As you point out the criminal too often seems to have more ‘rights ‘ than the victim. I also worry that , for example young girls(children) can be groomed and sexually abused for over ten years, the abusers known to the authorities but not prosecuted because it is not politically correct and that authority afraid of being called racist. Despite the many failures of the Law I also worry that because of cost at least half the population cannot afford lawyers when needed.Legal aid is greatly cut back but the government can spend millions on judicial enquiries that seldom get to the bottom of anything, it is just away for politicians to shelve problems and kick them into limbo, never to be acted on or even read. Am I cynical or what LOL????
Rockflower, you have hit on the weak link in the Justice system; the money issue. People get the Justice they can pay for and some qualify for a public defender, but others still cannot afford a lawyer and they do not qualify for a public one. Most public defenders are inexperienced and with little time for each case.
Hello Rock Yup what you say is very right indeed Thanks for your reply Jim