
Originally Posted by
David House
Don't you think this is more than a little over the top? No-one knows the whole circumstances and without ever wishing to defend a burgar any response to such an intrusion must be proportionate to the threat faced.
Maybe it was. Maybe the householder was being threatened and his life in danger. If so a claim of self defence is justified. If not then surely there are many other responses to be made without resorting to extreme force.
I live in Wisbech, which is where the infamous Tony Martin lives. If you recall he was jailed some years ago in similar circumstances when he confronted a teenage burglar and shot him. His jailing caused a national outrage but I know a little more of the circumstances, which were much more complicated than reported and I strongly feel that Mr Martin deserved to go to jail. Maybe there is more to this case than meets the eye so I prefer to let the legal people decide rather than make ill informed pronouncements.