Don't stab a burglar

[Whitefront]

Halewood man who killed burglar after seeing break-in via Ring doorbell jailed

Karl Townsend stabbed Jordan Brophy to death after seeing him breaking into his home on a phone app.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Rory]

Pretty understandable when you read the story though, no where near self defense.

 

[Woodsmoke]

Zero sympathy for either of them, to be honest

 

[kes]

Only in self-defence and with the same weapon the burglar uses and SPECIFICALLY ONLY if you feel your life is threatened and can show good reason why you did.

 

[Woodsmoke]

Only in self-defence and with the same weapon the burglar uses

Not so. You can use a piece of cheese if that's what immediately comes to hand. However, if you keep that 'piece of cheese' to hand specifically for self defence you're breaking the law . . . .

 

[shakey jake]

his mum is sad, maybe teach your kids not to burgal people. the guy shouldnt have taken a knife but im not sorry the guy died

 

[WH308]

There is a reason maglite make long sturdy torches, it’s often dark and having a 4 D cell maglite by the door is just common sense.

 

[bobthedug]

Only in self-defence and with the same weapon the burglar uses and SPECIFICALLY ONLY if you feel your life is threatened and can show good reason why you did.

That’s simply not true. There are no hard and fast rules for these type of situations. As Woodsmoke stated, you can use whatever is at hand. You could also use force if you believe another’s life is threatened.
The ultimate test would be it went to court who would then decide if the use and level of force was deemed reasonable.
Often there is sufficient evidence that it will not even get as far as being decided by a Court.
Going by what you say, If an intruder was in your child’s bedroom armed with a screwdriver, you as the parent and householder would need to find a similar weapon and wait until your own life is threatened? Absolutely not.

 

[Rake Aboot]

Travelling home with another person both armed with kitchen knives and stabbing the guy all the way out into the street is not in any way defence.
Guys a dick.

 

[User00035]

Tony Martin all over again. Householder may well be a prick and not a very nice man, but if you don't want to die in the course of burgling such a person's house, don't burgle it in the first place. If you do, and he catches you and comes back to give what you have coming, society should suck it up as necessary population reduction.
The police "service" don't attend burglaries or consider theft - whether carried out with the threat of violence or otherwise - worthy of investigation. In this environment, where the covenant has been broken - abandoned - people (whatever their character) will take the law into their own hands. You reap what you sow, as an individual and a society.

 

[bobthedug]

Tony Martin all over again. Householder may well be a prick and not a very nice man, but if you don't want to die in the course of burgling such a person's house, don't burgle it in the first place. If you do, and he catches you and comes back to give what you have coming, society should suck it up as necessary population reduction.
The police "service" don't attend burglaries or consider theft - whether carried out with the threat of violence or otherwise - worthy of investigation. In this environment, where the covenant has been broken - abandoned - people (whatever their character) will take the law into their own hands. You reap what you sow, as an individual and a society.

Can I ask for evidence that the police do not attend burglaries or consider theft worthy of investigation.
I asked another member before the same question and go referred to a guy on YouTube and a vague Daily Mail article which didn’t answer my question.
As for it being Tony Martin all over again.
It’s not. Martin was not a known drug dealer. He did not return to his house armed along with another. He didn’t stab his housebreaker 19 times in the head and face, take his eyes out and then follow him out into the street and cut his throat.
I really don’t think we, as society deserve this.

 

[Woodsmoke]

if you don't want to die in the course of burgling such a person's house, don't burgle it in the first place. If you do, and he catches you and comes back to give what you have coming, society should suck it up as necessary population reduction

Part of me very much agrees with you. I think anyone entering someone's home with the express intent to thieve their belongings has strayed out-with normal societal rules, and should take their chances. In some cases that's exactly what happens. A householder panics, picks up the nearest object and lashes out to defend themselves. If that happens to be a poker? Or the baseball bat you were playing with your kids with earlier and haven't put away? Tough sh1t. However, if you then chase the burglar down the street and malky him to death with it? Different ballgame altogether. As I said earlier, I've no sympathy for either of them. But I have to confess a certain Schadenfreude at the thought of another scrote having left the planet.

 

[Foxyboy43]

There is a reason maglite make long sturdy torches, it’s often dark and having a 4 D cell maglite by the door is just common sense.

Yep probably better called lighted batons!

 

[andyk]

Got to agree with @Woodsmoke on this. The law should presume the homeowner is acting reasonably to protect themselves and their family (and, in my view, their property but that isn't the law) unless the force is clearly unreasonable.

It's absolutely not ok for lawyers to spend hours working out precisely what would have been appropriate when the homeowner may only have seconds in an acutely stressful situation.

However, and on any measure, this chap has gone way beyond what is reasonable and essentially executed this chap. I've not got a great deal of sympathy with the "victim" as the simple solution is just not to burgle people but I don't think society can condone lynchings either.

 

[User00035]

Can I ask for evidence that the police do not attend burglaries or consider theft worthy of investigation.
I asked another member before the same question and go referred to a guy on YouTube and a vague Daily Mail article which didn’t answer my question.
As for it being Tony Martin all over again.
It’s not. Martin was not a known drug dealer. He did not return to his house armed along with another. He didn’t stab his housebreaker 19 times in the head and face, take his eyes out and then follow him out into the street and cut his throat.
I really don’t think we, as society deserve this.

I've had a tool store burgled. It was reported but not investigated. Whoever I spoke to on the crime line even thought it was amusing and advised me that the scallywags (probably kids, they thought. It wasn't) would be long gone by now and maybe I should keep the store locked in future. Like I hadn't thought of that.. The thieves had even left a home-made pry-bar behind which I had left where it was found, and we had good circumstantial evidence of who was responsible. None of this was of interest to the police and they never visited the scene or attempted any investigation. I know several people who have been robbed in a similar fashion, and again, no investigation. Therefore my comments are based on experience.
I agree that the killer in this instance was a scumbag not a hero (i wasn't aware that he was a drug dealer. I didn't see that in the article linked) and it's a shame he and his intruder didn't manage to kill each other and do society a favour, but the fact remains, if one scumbag hadn't broken into the other one's house, he would still be alive. For a while anyway..

 

[FrenchieBoy]

There is a reason maglite make long sturdy torches, it’s often dark and having a 4 D cell maglite by the door is just common sense.

I have a mag light that I keep on the table near the door. It's handy to pick up if the dog tells me that there is someone about on a night time.
Mag Lights are very useful torches with a good strong beam and are (As has been said) sturdy and heavy enough that you wouldn't want to drop it on your toes! Mind you any "unwanted intruder" would quickly find himself "discussing the situation" with my dog!

 

[mudman]

Must be a lot more to the story than we are told, not your normal burglary, more like a home invasion with a number of people involved. This was more like a targeted attack. Seems more like a bad guy on bad guy event.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Must be a lot more to the story than we are told, not your normal burglary, more like a home invasion with a number of people involved. This was more like a targeted attack. Seems more like a bad guy on bad guy event.

Oh dear, how sad, never mind…….

 

[NullMac]

Going by what you say, If an intruder was in your child’s bedroom armed with a screwdriver, you as the parent and householder would need to find a similar weapon and wait until your own life is threatened? Absolutely not.

In that situation nobody gives a stuff what the law says.

 

[Drum123]

Can I ask for evidence that the police do not attend burglaries or consider theft worthy of investigation.
I asked another member before the same question and go referred to a guy on YouTube and a vague Daily Mail article which didn’t answer my question.
As for it being Tony Martin all over again.
It’s not. Martin was not a known drug dealer. He did not return to his house armed along with another. He didn’t stab his housebreaker 19 times in the head and face, take his eyes out and then follow him out into the street and cut his throat.
I really don’t think we, as society deserve this.

The police , as a matter of course, refuse to respond to theft or criminal damage on the estate I work unless it's above a certain value. If a member of the public reports suspected wrong doings by the keepering staff (no proof needed) they're out like a shot.The police have very little credibility left I'm afraid.