[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Livia

The police were never going to charge this man. You are allowed to use a lot more force in your own home than you are, say, in the street. For instance, you don't have to wait for the burglar to attack you if you feel your life or the lives of your family are at risk. And the burglar had a screwdriver, so was armed.

Lots of people mentioned Tony Martin, which was an entirely different case. Not only was his gun illegal, he had it ready. I have a shotgun (because I shoot clays, I don't do post offices or anything...) and there are very strict rules about how your gun is stored. By the time I'd got the key, which is kept apart from the gun cabinet, opened the cabinet, got the gun out, loaded it, because she cartridges aren't kept with the gun... the burglars would be out the door with my telly.