Lawless UK.

Diasi · August 25, 2023, 05:34:52 PM

Do any other members worry about how lawless the UK is becoming & do you feel completely safe in your own home?

I've just come across a news article from the Manchester area where burglars broke into a man's house to steal his valuable dog & when the bloke resisted he was killed.

Anyway, as mad as it may seem I'm considering the first one shown in the video, but of course I'm aware that, should I use it, the police & CPS will have the luxury of many hours of discussions to decide whether what I had to decide in 5 seconds was reasonable.

Of course, if armed police think you're a danger they can shoot & kill with impunity.

https://tinyurl.com/y45jy4p9

Raven · August 25, 2023, 06:39:19 PM

I am sometimes a bit nervous if I'm down in Perth at my own place on my own, it's a nice area and quiet. If I see Dageus suddenly become alert and I've heard nothing it can put me on edge, especially if he starts with the low growling. I have a big garden and it's pitch black near the bottom of it. I keep a cricket bat down the side of the bed and yes I would use it if I had to. Perth is changing and there's a lot more groups of youths around in the dark these days.
Up here it's so isolated we seldom see or hear anyone but the Clyde's are great watch dogs and whinny and clatter about if they get unsettled. Also Dunc has a couple of rifles locked in the hall cupboard, he's a good shot and would easily miss on purpose just to scare the hell out of anyone creeping about.

Scrumpy · August 25, 2023, 08:17:39 PM

I doubt think anyone can feel 100% safe wherever they live.. It is fairly safe in my area and I have yet to feel intimidated.. But, I wouldn't go out in the evening alone
( Anywhere)..
How sad to break in and steal a dog..
In my day it was the gas meter that got nicked.. people didn't have anything worth stealing..
And the dogs in the area were let out in the morning and they roamed around with their friends and came back when hungry.. none got nicked..
Dog stealing is relatively new.. Mainly foreigners do the stealing.. Sorry.. but it's true..

Diasi · August 25, 2023, 09:13:00 PM

Quote from: Scrumpy on August 25, 2023, 08:17:39 PMHow sad to break in and steal a dog..

It's the fact that they killed the owner in order to steal the dog that bothers me.

klondike · August 25, 2023, 10:23:35 PM

I have a burglar alarm. One night some time back it went off. I leapt out of bed and tore down the stairs in my skiddies to turn the damned thing off before it woke the whole street.

Yes it was a false alarm. I had assumed it was. Had it not been I never gave a thought to arming myself in any way before tearing downstairs and putting myself in danger.

I've fixed that now. I don't turn the alarm on any more. If I hear a burglar I'll just keep very quiet. I don't want to kill any burglars laughing at me in my skiddies even if I were armed.

Michael Rolls · August 26, 2023, 04:31:02 AM

the number of times me blood boils reading reports of homeowners defending themselves and ending up as the criminal! To my mind anyone breaking into a house should lose all legal protection!

Alex · August 26, 2023, 07:08:56 AM

I no longer feel safe in my home, I don't have an alarm but do have security lights front and back of the house. The neighbourhood has changed the last few years with many newcomers, some of them look a bit ' suspect' Do any ot the girls take their handbags upstairs ? 😄😄

GrannyMac · August 26, 2023, 07:26:46 AM

I've never lived alone, i've had times when OH was away, but not recently. I feel reasonably secure here, no burglar alarm, but if it was just me, it would possibly be different.

Diasi · August 26, 2023, 08:09:53 AM

Quote from: Michael Rolls on August 26, 2023, 04:31:02 AMthe number of times me blood boils reading reports of homeowners defending themselves and ending up as the criminal! To my mind anyone breaking into a house should lose all legal protection!

Exactly!!

If an intruder broke into a house where the occupant was a 6' 6" 20 stone martial arts cage fighter, the intruder would probably run like hell when challenged, or get 7 bells knocked out of them.

If an intruder broke into our house & I challenged them it would be "piss off Granddad before I hurt you" & there'd be little chance of me fighting them off.

Even with my 2 ft length of metal conduit piping I'd still have get within probable knifing reach of the intruder so the crossbow seems 'reasonable in the circumstances' to me.

The official guidance is poorly written as the words 'reasonable force' are virtually meaningless.

https://tinyurl.com/3atddsrz

Scrumpy · August 26, 2023, 08:47:18 AM

No Alex.. I do not take my handbag to bed with me..
I know most of the (faces) that live in my area.. It hasn't changed much over the years..
In the warm weather I open the top of my stable door and it stays like that all day.. The Amazon man puts any package in the porch and calls out.. as do most of my deliveries..
I have had builders next door for over a month now.. Eastern Europeans mostly.. They are nice guys and always speak.. I don't feel threatened in any way..
It is all very sad and depressing.. because it only takes a 'Chancer' to stroll by..

klondike · August 26, 2023, 09:36:46 AM

Quote from: Diasi on August 26, 2023, 08:09:53 AMThe official guidance is poorly written as the words 'reasonable force' are virtually meaningless.

I doubt that a crossbow would be considered "reasonable force" and you only get one shot.

Something non lethal with multiple shots would, imo at least, be better. A CO2 paintball gun firing solid hard rubber balls might suit you.

https://moderncombatsports.co.uk/products/umarex-t4e-hdr-68-revolver

Diasi · August 26, 2023, 09:39:55 AM

Quote from: klondike on August 26, 2023, 09:36:46 AMI doubt that a crossbow would be considered "reasonable force" and you only get one shot.

Something non lethal with multiple shots would, imo at least, be better. A CO2 paintball gun firing solid balls might suit you.

https://moderncombatsports.co.uk/products/umarex-t4e-hdr-68-revolver

The crossbow has a magazine with 5 bolts & each bolt can be cocked & fired in 3 seconds.

But your reply shows just how meaningless 'reasonable force' is as I do regard it as reasonable in the circumstance of an intruder who approaches me.

klondike · August 26, 2023, 09:49:50 AM

It doesn't matter what you or I consider reasonable force that's initially down to plod and they seem to like to put householders before the court.

BTW I watch that nutty kraut quite often on his YouTube Slingshot channel. He produces some really amusing kit if you like that sort of thing. I like watching but wouldn't build or buy any of it.

Diasi · August 26, 2023, 11:06:14 AM

Quote from: klondike on August 26, 2023, 09:49:50 AMIt doesn't matter what you or I consider reasonable force that's initially down to plod and they seem to like to put householders before the court.

BTW I watch that nutty kraut quite often on his YouTube Slingshot channel. He produces some really amusing kit if you like that sort of thing. I like watching but wouldn't build or buy any of it.

This is precisely my point, the UK law on self-defence is not fit for purpose as the law states you can use reasonable force & can then tell you it wasn't reasonable.

The only person who knows if it was reasonable is me as, apart from the intruder, I'm the only one there.

klondike · August 26, 2023, 11:57:19 AM

I can't argue with that. What it boils down to is if you in any way try to defend yourself with any weapon from an intruder you run a considerable risk of ending up in court and possibly in jail. No old person would be able to defend themselves from a young assailant without a weapon. Quite possibly not with one either unless it could be used from a distance.