Why do we always seem to arrest the good guys?

[LazarusShort]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...icestershire-19463707
Why are we not allowed to defend ourselves in our own homes?

[Ann]

I agree the owners need to be questioned as to what actually happened, but not persecuted if they just shot them in the legs etc ........ the burglars deserved it! Their injuries "were not life-threatening"

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

I have no idea what I'd do Chuck, but I am not the sort of person who would even own a gun, let alone pull the trigger on an actual human being.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Can't you see that what most of you are saying is that you value goods more than life.

[ChuckFickens]

Not the sort of person that would own a gun isn't really relevant... you have kitchen knives I assume? and are you seriously saying if you felt your family could be in danger you wouldn't do everything in your power to protect them?

[ummmm]

No...it's not about goods at all. When someone gets into your home you have no idea what sort of psycho they might be.

Read Chucks link!

[237SJ]

Much as I`d love to shoot people who are burgling my home the law says that I shouldn`t and if I did, then I would be the one that pays. That`s the way it is. I would be charged for ABH, get a criminal record and lose my job. It`s not worth it. I would shoot someone if my life was being threatened by the burglers though.

[baza]

mojo so you and 3 mates are running away from what that would make all of you break into a house?

[ummmm]

And when someone gets into your home, I know because it's happened to me, you act on instinct.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

I don't need to read a link to know my own thoughts on this.
If a knife was to hand then yes, I would grab it and try to appear all threatening, but I know deep down that I couldn't use it.
I trod on a stag beetle today and felt crap about it for the whole day.

[ChuckFickens]

Anyone can use reasonable force to protect themselves or others, or to carry out an arrest or to prevent crime. You are not expected to make fine judgements over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment. So long as you only do what you honestly and instinctively believe is necessary in the heat of the moment, that would be the strongest evidence of you acting lawfully and in selfdefence. This is still the case if you use something to hand as a weapon.

As a general rule, the more extreme the circumstances and the fear felt, the more force you can lawfully use in self-defence.

Do I have to wait to be attacked?
No, not if you are in your own home and in fear for yourself or others. In those circumstances the law does not require you to wait to be attacked before using defensive force yourself.

http://www.cps.gov.uk...ion/householders.html

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Baza you're missing the point.
I know I'm in the minority here, but he shot them. He shot them.
He needs his gun license revoking immediately.

[ummmm]

I think you'd be surprised at what you could do when under serious threat, mojo.

[ChuckFickens]

So you'd let strangers who've broken into your house hurt your family before you'd hurt them?

[baza]

mojo the gun was legal the scumbags were not, to use a popular expression end of.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Thankfully ummmm it would be unlikely that I would "in the heat of the moment" remove a legally licensed shotgun from a government approved locked cabinet, take the ammunition from the separate but also locked and licensed cabinet, load the gun, aim it and fire.
Heaven knows what kind of thought process makes that happen in a blink.

[Ann]

The owner did not shoot to kill apparently - they only had superficial wounds to the legs. He probably aimed at their legs to scare them off.

[ummmm]

Have you got kids mojo?

[baza]

mojo the answer is fear.

[ChuckFickens]

There is no legal requirement to keep shotgun cartridges secured at all.

[237SJ]

I only heard a bit about this on the news. Were these people farmers? The shotgun would hardly be in a locked cabinet mo-jo. From my experience - the gun would more likely have been behind the kitchen door! Very easy to grab in the heat of the moment.