Fast Response

[Richard-R]

(quote) Burglars ?

Some advice .....

Going to bed the other night, I noticed people in my shed stealing things.

I phoned the police but was told no one was in the area to help. They said they would send someone over as soon as possible.

I hung up.

A minute later I rang again. "Hello," I said, "I called you a minute ago because there were people in my shed. You don't have to hurry now, because I've shot them"

Within minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area plus helicopters and an armed response unit. They caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the officers said : "I thought you said you'd shot them"

To which I replied : "I thought you said there was no one available"(unquote)

[bixy]

Well done BUT I think you may have taken a chance of being shot by our trigger happy police.

[Alcazar]

Richard: it's a SIAL, I'm afraid

Alcazar

[Jon 1]

Is this a true story or a joke?  Whichever, it is enjoyable in both counts.

[Miki]

It might have been true some years ago when some of us heard it for the first time

 

[Dick Smith]

A joke is a joke, but the guy in Chelsea this week who tried to stop a burglar and was stabbed to death wasn't laughing.

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

Some years ago,not that many when I was working away,the misses and my kids were home alone some **** tried to break in to our home,and while they where trying to get in the good lady phoned the police(we were then in UK)and they did arrive with in two minites,and so they should the police station was less than 500yds away only thing was they came in two panda cars with the sirens blasting out,yeah the ******* where never caught.

[I1]

[quote]A joke is a joke, but the guy in Chelsea this week who tried to stop a burglar and was stabbed to death wasn't laughing.[/quote]

I had not heard that story but it makes things a difficult balance. Had the person injured the burglar, then it seems the burglar would have had the right to sue the person he was committing the crime against.

One argument is that if you chose to do something you also accept the risks associated with doing it. If you break into someone’s house, then you take the risk that they will defend themselves and their property. The burglar has decided to take that risk before undertaking their crime. They have put themselves outside the law – so why do they have the right to sue the homeowner ? I can accept that there needs to be a "reasonable limit" to the victim's response. Clearly it would not be acceptable for a somebody to shoot a pickpocket. Likewise, if somebody is threatening you with a gun, they have to expect a stronger reaction that being asked politely to leave."

When burglars carry guns, the situation is somewhat aggravated and the risk increase – but hurt the person breaking into your house and you can end up in court.

Have things in the UK gone a bit too far towards protecting the burglar.

[Dick Smith]

Interestingly the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has gone public that homeowners have the right to do whatever they like to burglars, provided they don't indulge in 'gratuitous violence' - reported by the BBC. However, there are now 2 news stories about householders who have tackled burglars and been stabbed to death.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4067681.stm

You'll have to cut and paste the link as this forum software doesn't like Macs.

[I1]

Quote: "You'll have to cut and paste the link as this forum software doesn't like Macs"

Doesn't like me either and I've got a PC. Actually I don't think it likes anybody.

[Dave&Olive]

You'll have to cut and paste the link as this forum software doesn't like Macs

 

funny I always thought you were an american or from across the pond somewhere  ????   

[Dick Smith]

Not jocks, Macs. Honestly...

[Hoddy]

I wish that I knew the full plain facts about the Tony Martin case. I feel that perhaps the sensational reporting distorted the truth.

At about the same time, there was a case near to where I live where a man came home to find an intruder in his kitchen. They fought and the intruder died. Apart from some of the burglar's friends giving "bleeding heart" interviews in a city pub to the local newspaper the whole community sympathised with the householder.

The case never even came to court, but cases like this don't catch the national headlines and somehow people have got the idea that they can't defend themselves.

Hoddy

another struggling Macuser

[Georgina]

Talking about fast responses, I saw two young men fighting in the street and rang the police 999 from my mobile.  It took at least ten rings for them to answer the phone!  I was thinking I was glad it was not my son being beaten up!  I duly reported the incident and they rang me after two hours to ask if I had one of them with me as they had not attended yet.....uh?????  Another officer rang me later and asked what had happened and did not know the first one rung me.  Mmmm keystone cops. 

It would seem that they could not believe that someone who wasn't involved would actually call the police. But this is what is wrong in the UK, too many people ignore these incidents now.

Georgina