Now Legal to kill & Maim Burglars

[Advocate]

AFAIK he heard the burglars downstairs - came down with his gun. Then shot one - in the back as he fled.

Even accepting your version of events - this is a man who felt abandoned by the police and that he was targeted by burglars.

I don't think law abiding people should live in fear - anyone that helps to stop that should be knighted.

WHS

[expat]

WHS. I have a family to protect and I can only assume that any intruder intends to kill them.

Percentage of all burglaries that are "hot" burglaries, i.e. the occupier is at home:
UK 53%
US 12%.

Hmmm.

[The Lone Gunman]

Had his place not been broken into a number of times though? He had probably had enough.

Any one who comes into my place unannounced is fair game in my opinion.

I agree with that.

I am sure Martin was fed up. He had been burgled numerous times but he had never been harmed.
I would agree that defending your property is reasonable, the law has always allowed you to kill a burglar if in fear for your life.
Tony martin was never under threat for his life. He built a cage. All other windows were secure. The burglar could never have reached him. The lad was unarmed and running away at the time. Martin had set out to kill a burglar. Martin could have just sealed the lads in and called the police.

[Chugnut]

Tony Martin is as much a murderer as any other. He set a trap. He secured all but one window in his property and sat in wait for a burglar to find it. He could have secured his entire property. He could have set the trap to cage the burglar. He set out to kill.
Had he not set the trap I would support him.

But these were repeat burglaries TLG, whilst living on his own in an isolated area if I recall. He must have been cacking himself every time he heard a noise.

The burglar shouldn't have been there, full stop. If you break in to someone's home, you deserve the consequences coming to you IMO. And if you're stupid enough to pick a farm, chances are the owner's got a shotgun.

[chicane]

As long as the police continue to regard burglaries and muggings as a non-offence, and as long as the law prevents people giving burglars a beating, there will continue to be problems with property crime.

Why should homeowners turn their houses into heavily defended fortresses? All we need is for criminals to be given a sufficient deterrent against breaking into properties - I think the risk of a good beating or a knife in the throat would do it for most of them.

[oracleslave]

I'd rather have one of these...

http://www.montysminiguns.com/copy3.jpg

That looks like serious fun!

[expat]

AFAIK he heard the burglars downstairs - came down with his gun. Then shot one - in the back as he fled.

Even accepting your version of events - this is a man who felt abandoned by the police and that he was targeted by burglars.

I don't think law abiding people should live in fear - anyone that helps to stop that should be knighted.

Earlier in the 20th century the fact of living in an isolated location and wanting a gun for self-protection was a common reason given on apllications for gun licences, and it was commonly accepted. Over the course of the century, government guidelines to police steadily eroded the likelihood of this ground being accepted, until eventually the guidelines stated that this should never be accepted.

These guidelines were issued without discussion or debate, and were classified for most of the time.

[DimPrawn]

Martin could have just sealed the lads in and called the police.

Yes, and the police would have arrested Martin for false imprisonment and then released the burglars uncharged.

They would have then returned again. At some point they would have tackled the old man, and likely killed him.

He is a national hero and should be made King of England and have been allowed to appear on Big Brother.

[oracleslave]

Yes, and the police would have arrested Martin for false imprisonment and then released the burglars uncharged.

They would have then returned again. At some point they would have tackled the old man, and likely killed him.

He is a national hero and should be made King of England and have been allowed to appear on Big Brother.

WHS - minus the Big Brother bit

[Advocate]

Yes, and the police would have arrested Martin for false imprisonment and then released the burglars uncharged.

They would have then returned again. At some point they would have tackled the old man, and likely killed him.

He is a national hero and should be made King of England and have been allowed to appear on Big Brother.

Now steady on, I'm all for havign him knighted but lets not play around with the royal successsion, and having him on that abysmal TV show would only have cheapened his heroics!