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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Grandma Stops Intruder With Garden Gnome |
| 2005-04-19 |
| (04-15) 14:20 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) A grandmother stopped an intruder from entering her home by lobbing a heavy garden gnome at him, police said Friday. Jean Collop was woken early on Tuesday morning by the sound of an intruder on the roof of her home in Wadebridge, southwest England. "I grabbed the first thing that came to hand — one of my garden gnomes — and hurled it at him, and hit him," she recalled. She must be great at grenade throwing. Those gnomes are heavy! "He lay there and I began to scream. I went back into the kitchen and found a rolling pin in case he came down. I didn't want to break another gnome." Come on down, Sonny, and take your medicine! Come on, big boy, try to get a piece of me! The classic weapon for a Grandma! Bean him with a rolling pin! A neighbor alerted police who arrived shortly afterward and arrested the intruder. I have visions of Granny from The Beaverly Hillbillies. He added: "Our usual advice would be not to get involved, but to contact the police straight away," said a spokesman for the Devon and Cornwall Police. That's part of the problem. The criminals know most people will call the police and as good as they are they can't get there fast enough. People are responsible for their own security. "We do appreciate that in the heat of the moment people react to that situation, and if it results in a happy outcome that's great." The happy outcome is the criminal is behind bars. |
| Posted by:Deacon Blues |
| #11 No garden gnomes in Nome. Of course, we defend ourselves with guns and heavy equipment up there. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-04-19 6:11:17 PM |
| #10 Apparently, she's being scouted by "Hek's Hurlers." As soon as she passes her physical and takes the shahada pledge, that is... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-04-19 5:51:04 PM |
| #9 Sounds like progress. |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-04-19 5:32:07 PM |
| #8 Oh, great--this means a whole new rash of "Roming Gnome" Travelocity commercials... Seriously, though, I'm surprised this granny wasn't prosecuted--are things changing in the UK? Can you legally defend your own life, property, and family now? |
| Posted by: Dar 2005-04-19 10:26:31 AM |
| #7 Luckily she threw a concrete gnome and not a Christmas fruit cake, or she'd be facing murder charges. ;) |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2005-04-19 10:19:25 AM |
| #6 In France we have had a movement called the "Garden Gnome Liberation Front" who dedicated itself at kidnapping captive garden gnomes and then freeing them in their natural habitat (forest). Had she been living in France she wouldn't have had a gnome to throw at the intruder. |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-04-19 10:10:30 AM |
| #5 Forward this to Martha Stewart! I'm glad Grandma is safe- the act of crime turned out okay for her* Keep some manure on hand as well. ANdrea Jackson |
| Posted by: Andrea Jackson 2005-04-19 9:56:02 AM |
| #4 Two observations: (1) Garden gnomes: Why do they hate us(tm)? (2) That's it, we must ban all gnomes and rolling pins. When you outlaw gnomes, only the outlaws will have gnomes! (/sarcasm off/) |
| Posted by: BA 2005-04-19 9:26:54 AM |
| #3 Excellent! Too bad she didn't get the opportunity to fully trounce him before the police came by. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-04-19 9:13:13 AM |
| #2 I'm surprised they didn't prosecute her. She attacked a poor, defenseless intruder with a deadly weapon, after all. |
| Posted by: Spot 2005-04-19 9:01:09 AM |
| #1 You go, girl. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-04-19 8:44:58 AM |