Burglar stabbed to death ..

[Quassia]

This will be a complicated case .. did his intruder friends speed up his death? http://www.bbc.co.uk/...d-manchester-13885457

[askyourgran]

I wouldn't attack them to actually kill them, but hopefully hurt them enough to chase them off. But what chance would a couple of pensioners have against four armed robbers?

[coli05anna00]

would still be alive if he hadn't been where he shouldn't have be in the first place. self defence i say cos you don't know what an intruders intentions are!

[carmalee]

I repeat, if it happened to you - trust me you would advocate being able to retaliate with anything available -

[coli05anna00]

well lets just hope it never happens then hey. i would certainly be defending my two children tho make no mistake of that!

[Quassia]

Who knows what any of us would do? All I know is that a knife surely is a very dangerous weapon to hold? Would it be looked on more leniently by the courts being armed with a block of wood?

[sir.prize]

You would make a great Judge with your philosophy, Quassia.

[Quassia]

Not sure 'how' the courts will determine who is guilty of causing death here? The intruder was carried out of the house after being stabbed .. surely that would speed up his death?

[douglas9401]

Not always easy to tell the difference as the scroti tumble down the stairs Trimeresurus.

[Everhelpful]

Were the Burglars arrested?

[joko]

if i believe its a case of kill, or be killed then i would kill...but only in as much as i needed too....if a whak with a stick knocked them out i wouldnt continue bludgeoning...however if i am jumped on an the only thing to hand is a knife then i would grab it and stab away until they stop...

[Quassia]

That was just an example doc. O.k, a rolling pin, bat .. whatever. I'm just amazed at the amount of views here 'for' arming themselves with a knife. It would be far more probable to cause a fatality holding a knife.

[askyourgran]

I have a lovely heavy knobbly walking stick by my front door, you might say, expressly for the purpose of landing someone on the nut with it if they become awkward.

[Eve]

I thought they were saying earlier it was a suspected burglary on the local news (right near where I used to live), has it been confirmed now?

I wouldn't like to think how I'd react if confronted face to face with someone, during previous break ins I've was unaware for one (thought it was housemate and must have inadvertently scared them off) and asleep another time. When someone was trying to get in my flat I was petrified and, have to say, if they had come close to actually getting the door open I don't know what I'd have done but when I've felt threatened previously I've gone investigating armed with a knife hoping that would be enough to keep anyone away from me but never thought through what I'd do if I was confronted in that situation.

These days I'd be so unsure about the mindset of people who broke in after a couple of particularly nasty incidents across the road where the gang who broke in purposefully inflicted violence as well as robbing, probably for an extra kick.

[bazwillrun]

Define reasonable force that would make you feel safe enough to turn your back on an intruder so that you could go and call the police knowing you have other family in the house...most probably you cant

You catch someone breaking into your house, they move towards you, then what do you do ?

perhaps you have a something heavy to hand that you grab and clump the scumbag with..he seems to go down in a heap so you take the chance and go to the phone to call the police, as you walk off the scumbag gets up and decides to have a go at you ..what you going to do this time ?

As far as i'm concerned you go for them with whatever you have to hand, knife, bat.
If you dont put the person out of the game then chances are they might just do the same to you.
You have to be satisfied that you have neutralised the threat to you and your family, its as simple as that

They broke in , they must take responsibility for their actions and suffer the consequences whatever they are.

How these scum can expect to be protected by the law is beyond me

[Quassia]

Yet to be traced Ever.

[carmalee]

<<<<<Who knows what any of us would do?>>>>> in answer to your question quassia - regretably some of us do know what they would do