The right to protect your home

anyone have any views on the extent to which you should "legally" be able to protect your family and your home ?

Tony Martin who killed a burglar in his home was sentenced for it a few years ago but on the opposite side of things I saw this in the news today-

Judge Backs Farmer Who Shot Burglar

Victim support groups have called for clarification of the law after a burglar shot during a raid on a farmhouse was jailed for seven years while the farmer who fired at him was backed by a judge.

Derby Crown Court heard how John Rae, 22, had targeted 73-year-old Kenneth Faulkner's isolated home three times last year before the pensioner hit back.

Mr Faulkner's treatment contrasted with the prosecution of Tony Martin, who was jailed for the manslaughter of a burglar at his isolated Norfolk farmhouse seven years ago.

Mr Martin served two-thirds of his five-year sentence for killing 16-year-old Fred Barras before being freed in July last year.



His conviction provoked a tide of public sympathy and his supporters said the 58-year-old should not have been jailed for protecting his property.

Victim support organisations called for clearer guidelines for householders on what constitutes "reasonable force" when protecting their homes against intruders.

Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, backed Mr Faulkner.

He said: "The law does not need changing, it just needs to be explained in layman's terms to the public about what reasonable force can they use to protect themselves, their families and their homes.

"Every householder has the right to protect themselves and their property and the law says that they can use what force they believe is necessary

I think its ridiculos that burgulars have rights in your home!! how stupid is that!!!

An intruder certainly had rights in ours, OH served a prison sentence for doing what he saw fit to protect our family and our home, even resulted in one of our dogs being pts

OMG WG, im so sorry, how awful!! what the hell is happening to the world when burgulars can enter our homes, and if we even so much as push them, you can be prosecuted!
GRRRRRRRRRR

What are we supposed to do, put out milk and cookies for them, a welcome mat! GRR

OMG Whizgirl

If anyone broke into my home id hammer their heads in, seriously, it cant be right that people can come into your home and risk your safety, its them that doing the wrong not the innocent householder.
I've just read the tony martin story written before he was freed, adn the nightmare he had to put up with, being burgled 10 times before the last time, and feeling under seige in his own home, it mustve been awful.
I'm not condoning murder though but you should be able to use reasonable force to protect yourself!

i kno its so stupid.
but wot happens if someone kills someone they hate and jus say they broke into their house?

i really think we should have rights over our homes tho, and our dogs should be allowed to do wot ever damage they like to an intruder

I think that particular case was a tricky one bcos he shot the guy in the back, which suggests he was running away and was not a threat to the farmer (hence no reason to kill him).

I think we shoul dbe allowed to protect our homes tho and if our dogs bite someone who breaks in we should not get done for it!!

But I don't think we should be allowed to shoot someone who breaks in as if they are only trying to nick sommin its not worth killing them for, however if they are trying to rape you or kill you, then I think we should not go to prison for defending ourselves in that situation.

jmo!

Unfortunatley that isnt they way the law views it i mean what is "resonable force".
OH served six months in prison for what he did to the guy, the indruder in our home got off lightly he was put on probation and ordered to enter a detox programme for drug abuse, i still get really wound up about what happened as it almost destroyed our lives, and the only real people that were punished were me and my family.

I wonder if anyone who sentenced my OH for his actions had to sit down that night with their children and tell them why Daddy wasnt comming home, now that was the hardest part for me.

Awwwww Whizgirl what an absolutely terrible thing to happen to you and your family, your hubs imo is a hero!, he did what any man would do if someone were to come into his home, I know my hubs wud have done the same.

I have heard how some burglars boil a kettle and leave it at the door just incase he is disturbed and he would use this if he had to, now that is what I would be in fear of not the fact that they were going to take from me, they could take what they liked but I have children, what if one of them were to go down I would do whatever it takes to protect my family and if I had to face the consequences later then I'm afraid I'd think it was worth it to protect those I love.