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| Britain |
| Judge backs British homeowner who shot burglar |
| 2004-10-26 |
| A chink of sunshine in the gloomy world of today's British justice system. A 73-year-old farmer who shot a burglar after being broken into three times "could not be criticised" for the way he defended his property, a judge said yesterday. The case, less than a week after the alleged murder of a 45-year-old west London teacher by a burglar, seems certain to revive debate about how much force home owners can use to defend themselves and their property. Judge Andrew Hamilton, sentencing the burglar to seven years in jail for a string of similar crimes, said it was "a pity" that prosecutors had even thought of bringing charges of assault against the farmer, Kenneth Faulkner. Mr Faulkner, who has lived alone at isolated Keys Farm, at Ockbrook, Derbyshire, since the death of his wife two years ago, was first burgled by three men in July. During the raid they broke into a gun cabinet and took five shotguns, a longbow, arrows, a crossbow and bolts. Then one of the gang, 22-year-old John Rae, returned alone in August and stole a mechanical digger. When he went back the next day, Mr Faulkner confronted him and fired his shotgun, hitting Rae's leg with pellets. After hearing that the Crown Prosecution Service had only recently told the farmer that he would not face charges, Judge Hamilton told Rae at Derby Crown Court: "Mr Faulkner believed he was being targeted - and he was entirely right. "He wrongly believed the burglars had come back armed with those guns that had been stolen. Very sensibly he took out his shotgun. "Nobody could criticise him for what he did. For him it has been a most harassing and terrible incident. "It is only a pity that charges were considered against him. Sensibly, the decision was made - which I entirely agree with - that the matter would not be pursued." Michael Auty, prosecuting, said the "primary reason" that the CPS decided not to charge Mr Faulkner was that Rae had been left with only pellet wounds in his lower leg. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #25 I vaguely recall from my sojourn in Georgia, the story of a lad no more than 10 who came home from school and found someone dragging his mother out of the apartment and into the parking lot. He went to the closet, loaded his late daddy's rifle, walked out onto the balcony, and nailed the miscreant with one shot to the head. Cops showed up and said "mighty fine shootin', boy." Damn civilized state. |
| Posted by: Darth VAda 2004-10-26 10:57:12 PM |
| #24 OK my pisspoor contribution - who survives the next big quake? JH's - they're in everyone's doorways.. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-10-26 10:11:28 PM |
| #23 Jehovah's Witness bashing? I thought we were laughing at door to door evangelists. But OK, I'll give you this joke if you want. Question: What do you get when you cross a Jehovah's Witness with a Universalist Unitarian? Answer: Someone who goes around knocking on doors without any particular reason. Yeah, yeah, I'm here all week. Try the veal, and remember to tip your waitress... |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-10-26 9:31:20 PM |
| #22 #17 "Why all the Jehovah's Witnesses bashing ..." What on urdth? Where did you get that idea? I did not bash them! My baseball bat was peacefully resting in the corner. I just told them, politely, that I have a contrarian religion. In fact, last time I was hesitant, the two young chicks were stunningly cute and peachy. Unfortunately, the payment would be too high for the peace of my mind. John Q., shoot the perp terminally to reduce chances of being sued by relation or brothas. |
| Posted by: Cornîliës 2004-10-26 9:01:22 PM |
| #21 Maybe the limeys will get back to sanity after being disarmed. The US has a problem also. If you shoot someone in self-defense, most likely you will be sued by the perps relatives or friends, Handgun Control, etc. The 9 mm is a little light weight although easy to control. The 40 cal or 45 cal has better knock-down power. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2004-10-26 8:41:59 PM |
#20 #13 Sgt. Mom:My father used to tell the door to door evangelists that he was an orthodox paganI just showed 'em my copy of The Satanic Bible. :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-10-26 8:24:08 PM |
| #19 You should know that a round being racked into a 1911A will cause rectal puckering too. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-26 6:36:28 PM |
| #18 My wife, who by the way is a much better shot than I am, believes that if you have to shoot someone, you shoot until the gun is empty. If they are still moving, reload and repeat until they stop moving. She prefers a 9mm, but I have always thought that there are few things that focus one's concentration in a dark house than the sound of a round being pumped into the chamber of a 12 guage. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-10-26 5:52:04 PM |
| #17 Why all the Jehovah's Witnesses bashing ... |
| Posted by: Chinese Unoque7533 2004-10-26 2:12:31 PM |
| #16 Increased Lead Density in the body...tends to be life threatening. Maybe not a bulls-eye for the old man...but no Maggie's Drawers either! |
| Posted by: RN 2004-10-26 11:50:18 AM |
| #15 "Are they saying we can all shoot burglars?" She sounds hopeful. I believe that here in Texas, burglar season starts at sundown. I don't think it's legal to shoot them during the day. |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2004-10-26 11:31:10 AM |
| #14 "It is only a pity that charges were considered against him." A "pity"?? I'd call it an outrage. How in heaven's name have the Poms allowed themselves to get into this current state of affairs???? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-10-26 10:58:42 AM |
| #13 My father used to tell the door to door evangelists that he was an orthodox pagan, and describe the midnight sacrifices, the wild dancing, calling up the spirits... they usually couldn't leave fast enough. I think they were afraid they'd be caught by the lightening bolt... |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-10-26 10:44:15 AM |
| #12 When I tell them I am a Satanist Have you considered joining the British Navy? |
| Posted by: Dallas 2004-10-26 10:20:15 AM |
| #11 A sign on my door says: "We don't call 911". (Oh, yea, there is also this image of hand holding a shotgun on the sign, not necessarily I have one, but a hardwood baseball bat right behind the door is the closest thing. Well, in the woods I live, the only visits I am getting is from Jehovah Witnesses. When I tell them I am a Satanist [not that I am really one], the conversation is kept to 1 minute time frame and they usually apologize for inconveniencing me. :-) ). |
| Posted by: Cornîliës 2004-10-26 10:12:01 AM |
| #10 Oops! 2nd post is the correct one. '... broke into the house of a friend of a friend...' was the change that was made. |
| Posted by: Bryan 2004-10-26 10:06:53 AM |
| #9 Good to see a glimmer of hope for the wishy-washy rights-for-criminals-but-not-for-their-victims system of 'justice' that has spread through western society like a virus. It spread to South Africa in the nineties, but you had to be a black criminal to reap the full benefit of it. Two of them broke into the house of a friend of a friend late at night while he was working on his computer. He fired two warning shots over their heads, but in a stroke of bad (or good) luck, depending on how you look at it, one bullet ricocheted off the lintel over the doorway and killed one of the intruders. The last I heard, my friend's friend was charged with murder. It's apparently just not on to defend your property and your life. You are meant to sit down and have an interview with the intruder to find out whether he's armed and whether he just intends to loot your possessions or to do you and your family harm as well. As the old saying goes, I would kill the fucker and question him afterwards. |
| Posted by: Bryan 2004-10-26 10:03:48 AM |
| #8 Good God, a sensible decision and an almost prportionate sentence form a British court. Wonders will never cease. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-10-26 8:08:58 AM |
| #7 I agree SPOD, ......"if your found here tonight, you'll be found here tomorrow." |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-10-26 7:51:35 AM |
| #6 Well I said vital. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-26 7:40:52 AM |
| #5 I think Faulkner aimed about a femur's length too low too, JFM. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-10-26 7:38:27 AM |
| #4 There is so much right about this story that it's hard to believe it isn't from Scrapleface. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-26 7:38:12 AM |
| #3 Heart, lungs and vital organs. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-26 7:30:06 AM |
| #2 SPOD What do you mean by center of the body mass? :-) |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-10-26 7:28:39 AM |
| #1 What really stikes me is this guy who is a human crime wave only got 7 years? This is right up there with 15 years for double homicide. I can't understand that. The online converter says in USD this is $92,020 as the value of the stolen property and $12,882.80 property damages. That is alot of money for regular folks to lose through theft. He should stay in jail till he pays it back with interest as you say Bulldog. Well if Rae is typical of his family perhaps shooting is too good. How about drowning? Perhaps we can manage a car ful of them at once. As for Burglars, if you break into my home after dark I will shoot first and and question later. I will fear for my life and you will be shot. I will shoot at the center of body mass until you are not a threat and are stopped. I will then call the sheriff and wait for him to arrive. If you should die in the mean time it's sad but not my fault. I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-26 7:11:24 AM |