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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have no sympathy for the burglar

758 replies

Mitmoo · 19/09/2011 09:10

Another burglar has been stabbed to death when he broke into a businessman's home. His wife and child were returning to the property. The details are very scant at the moment as it is early day.

But the burglars who were stabbed robbing a shop, and an edlerly shopkeeper killed one of them, he was not prosecuted. I think that's right.

It's on R5Live now being debated after another burglar was killed at the weekend.

Personally I think home burglars should take getting stabbed as a occupational hazard. I have no sympathy for them.

OP posts:
onagar · 19/09/2011 11:37

One less burglar is a good thing.

Also I gather that most burglaries are committed by a relatively small number of burglars. That means 100s of future crimes have been prevented. Real people who you know will now be spared that.

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 19/09/2011 11:38

YANBU. He was armed, and forced his way in to someone elses home. He wasn't going to ask for a cup of sugar.

Andrewofgg · 19/09/2011 11:38

YANBU. Give that man a medal.

pigletmania · 19/09/2011 11:41

I agree I have no sympathy, it's the occupational hazard of being a burglar. No it's not only about protecting property, but life too. Belive it or not butlers can have other intentions (kill and injure) how do you know in the dead of night what the burglar is going to do. You are wellxwithin your rights to protect your life and that of your family

BupcakesandCunting · 19/09/2011 11:42

I don't think that we should be speculating about the likelihood of this story. We already know that the wife and son were out so the burglars could have mistakenly thought that the house was unoccupied. It's been said that the husband often works away for lengths of time so if the burglars have been staking the house for weeks, weeks where the man is away, they could have thought they were only dealing with the wife and son. They might not have been expecting the husband to be in.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 19/09/2011 11:43

Butlers kill and injure now? Blimey, we've really gone downhill since Downton Abbey...

CogitoErgoSometimes · 19/09/2011 11:44

There's another explanation. You barge into a house that is occupied if you think it has a safe and need to scare the owner into opening it for you..... A businessman with flash cars and a van may have a lot of cash in the house at weekends waiting for the banks to open Monday morning.

pigletmania · 19/09/2011 11:45

Burglars lol, I'm on my phone

spookshowangellovesit · 19/09/2011 11:46

yes lets get the butlers shifty buggers.

Pinot · 19/09/2011 11:46

YANBU (yeegod I've agreed with mitmoo)

If anyone breaks into my home and comes near my children, I will kill them. I have no doubts or qualms about that fact.

Andrewofgg · 19/09/2011 11:47

I couldn't give a toss whether they thought there was anybody home. Finding that there is when you don't expect it and that the person is will protect his or her home and family - and possessions in the home - is part of the occupational hazard.

And pigletmania has given us all a smile with her typo!

FreudianSlipper · 19/09/2011 11:47

really how can you feel it is ok for a man to be killed for breaking into someone?s house, it happens every day it?s wrong to do so but to be killed for this and so many find it acceptable is astonishing

while i can understand someone panicking and attacking them in order to protect themselves or they family i can never agree that is is ok for anyone to die in this situation even if it is accidental there have to at least go to trial

we had an intruder who broke in our home in the middle of the night, my mum woke up to find him standing at the end of her bed and screamed, a blood curdling scream and i thought she was being attacked and hid but he ran off. it was terrifying (even more so when we realised a few days later he had taken her riding boots, left our bags and purses) but never would i think it was ok for my mother to take his life

Andrewofgg · 19/09/2011 11:50

Come off it FreudianSlipper. It's everyone's right to protect their home, and that includes their families and what they own. It's perfectly easy to avoid getting killed in this way - don't go burgling.

Marne · 19/09/2011 11:51

The fact that this burglar was killed may make others think twice before breaking into someones home. I don't feel sorry for the burglar at all, do you think he had a thought for the family who's house he was breaking into?

I hope the home owner does not get sent down for protecting his home.

spookshowangellovesit · 19/09/2011 11:53

to be fair freud i think a lot of people on here that say they would are saying it in principle but if it were to actually happen to them the fight or flight mentality would take over and a lot of people would probably say take what you want but dont hurt me. which is often the safest route and one i believe the police would advocate as a telly can be replaced but you can not.

TotemPole · 19/09/2011 11:54

they could have thought they were only dealing with the wife and son. They might not have been expecting the husband to be in.

That's a good point.

BupcakesandCunting · 19/09/2011 11:54

Well, your mother was lucky, Freudian. A lot of burglars become agitated when disturbed or discovered and this is when they tend to harm homeowners. I'm thankful for you and your mother that this particular burglar legged it.

pigletmania · 19/09/2011 11:54

Oh yes get those shifty butler lol. Freudian the man should never entered the property, I am afraid it was his fault for doing this. It seemed that he was armed what do you want the homeowner to do ask him if he wants a sit down and have a cup of tea. It seemed that he was armed, so came in with the intention if injuring and killing the houseowner. fortunately the houseowner got there first and he was killed. He got what was comming to him sorry he did

TotemPole · 19/09/2011 11:58

You barge into a house that is occupied if you think it has a safe and need to scare the owner into opening it for you

That's a possibility.

Original poster
Mitmoo · 19/09/2011 11:58

Freudian There is no point in the CPS sending it to trial that is just a waste of everyone's time and money and further victimises the victim.

If the police believe he has acted in self-defence, they will have to case to present to the CPS.

As this thread shows they'll have a hard time finding a jury ready to convict as the dead butler Wink burglar isn't going to be able to present their side of the case.

OP posts:
Andrewofgg · 19/09/2011 12:04

TotemPole that the deceased scumbag may have thought he was dealing with a woman and a child is not a good point; it's about as crap as a point could be.

Is it all right, then, to break into a house if you think only a woman and child(ren) are present?

I can't see the CPS taking this one on.

slavetofilofax · 19/09/2011 12:04

I have no sympathy for the burglar, he deserved what he got, because he was stabbed with his own knife. That means that there is no doubt that he was prepared to use a knife against someone else. It's not the same as a drug addicted and desparate teenager taking their chances just to survive. This man was scum, there is no doubt about it. The world is a better place without people like that it in.

The poor homeowner deserves an award for bravery as far as I'm concerned. He has saved other people from being burgled or stabbed by that scumbag's knife.

Any sympathy I may have had for the burglars family, dissapeared when I read that they had laid flowers at the house belong to their family members victim. It is just too selfish and distasteful for words, and proves that they think that what this burglar was doing wasn't that bad.

Animation · 19/09/2011 12:10

Charging the guy with actual murder on the day it happened seems hasty.

Shouldn't it be investigated first.

I mean how AGGRAVATED was this burglary?

Andrewofgg · 19/09/2011 12:12

I wouldn't care if it was a drug addicted and desperate teenager. He can go without his fix or take his (or sometimes these days, let me say, her) chances about not being able to pay for the last one. Self-inflicted problem. Breaking into other people's homes with criminal intent is never, ever on.

TotemPole · 19/09/2011 12:14

Andrewofgg, erm, where has anyone said it's ok? I was questioning the method they used, I wondered if there was something more to it than a straight forward burglary. Others have offered suggestions as to why they did it this way. That is all.