to ask your thoughts on this? Fatal shooting during burglary

[itsjustataste]

Happened near me very recently and our community seems very torn with lots of people slinging insults at both sides. Lots of people shouting about playing stupid games, win stupid prizes etc... whilst others calling the shooter a murderer.

I find it very sad that someone so young has ultimately lost their life and has got mixed up in this sort of thing.

BUT that being said, I don't have any ill feeling toward the farmer either and cannot say that I wouldn't do the same if faced with 3 people breaking into my home, especially if I had my children in the house.

The other 2 suspects arrested for aggravated burglary meaning a weapon was involved and there had been a break in at the same home the night previously too.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-68942085.amp

I feel very sorry for the farmer.

I feel sorry for the farmer too. I bet this isn’t the first time he’s been stolen from.

My sympathy is with the farmer, as it was with Tony Martin. If you break into someone's house, that's on you.

Yes, I'm with the farmer. If you break into someone's home, you should have to accept the consequences.

He shouldn’t have been there.

We was burgled when I was about 5. I was in bed with my mum and he walked in to the room and turned the light on. My mum pulled the covers over my head. He actually left after taking some stuff and my mum carried me to the phone box with a knife in her hand.

I was also burgled when I had my own house. The walked across my couch and left foot prints and stole my car. My first child was in the house,

I think if I had a gun I’d have shot him. It makes you feel not safe in the very place you’re supposed to feel safe in. That’s a horrible feeling.

Ive zero sympathy

I’m also with the farmer.

I agree with previous comments. He had a terrifying experience. My late husband used to quote the chap who said "Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6."

Yes, especially as in a rural area, you're unlikely to get a quick response from police if there are armed burglars in your house. You're basically on your own.

It's a difficult one though. The punishment for burglary isn't the death penalty.

I’m afraid I have little sympathy for the burglars in this case and I sincerely hope that the trauma of repeated break-ins is taken into account when deciding what action should be taken.

Another one with the farmer. I'll fight anyone to the death if they broke into my house, and I'll live with the repercussions.

It wasn't just burglary though. Seemingly, they had weapons...and there were three of them.

The farmer had the right to defend himself and his property. They had weapons and there was 3 of them. There was no mistaking their intentions here. The poor farmer.

Maybe they should have remembered that the penalty might be death. And not broken in. I feel sorry for his family, but mostly for the farmer who is now going to face a horrible trial just because three armed nightmares decided they could try to take what wasn't theirs.

I think it's sad when any young person wastes their life like this. I feel for the farm owner too knowing he's taken the life of a teenager as well, that must be hard never mind the circumstances. I honestly think if I knew I had a gun in my home, where my children were sleeping, I'd do the same if faced with 3 people likely carrying weapons themselves. I'd protect my children with anything in my means.

The lad was local to the property which makes it very difficult as there are family and friends of him locally who are grieving and now taking that out on the farm owner and also family and friends of the property owner on the other side. Very very messy situation.

Wasn’t the farmer also burgled/attempted burglary the night before too!?

Three intruders, with weapons?

I think the farmer was entirely justified in defending himself and his family and home.

Yep!

Police not officially saying so but it's suspected to be the same people involved.

Taking it out on the farm owner?! What did they expect him to do. Hand over his stuff willingly?

I wonder what will happen in this case. The farmer who did this before he went to jail right? I can’t remember all the details

Yes and the article says they believe it was a targeted attacked. Very distressing.

I live in an area where recently crime has surged. It's so bad. 3 armed men broke into my neighbours house recently. I heard a strange noise at around 1.30am. I had stayed up late watching TV. A few minutes later the noise got louder so I woke my partner and we went out to see what it was. The window was wide open. The sound of us hanging around disturbed them and they fled. They had mopeds nearby. The poor girl is only very young around 25 and lives alone. She was absolutely tetrified. She said they came in her bedroom but didn't end up taking anything as they heard us show up and left.

So frightening, we need laws that let people defend themselves in their homes.

The lad was local to the property which makes it very difficult as there are family and friends of him locally who are grieving and now taking that out on the farm owner and also family and friends of the property owner on the other side.

Of course they'll do and say anything to try and worm their way out of the fact that they raised a nasty little thieving scrote, I don't see how it makes it difficult. If they continue to threaten people in the area then they need to be reported to the police as the apple doesn't seem to have fallen far from the tree.
Calling his 'the lad' seems to minimise his crimes, not sure why 'the lad' sounds that way to me.

I don't see how it makes it difficult

I meant difficult in the sense I doubt the farmer will be able to peacefully resume his life around here again unfortunately as the guy/man/lad whatever you want to say, lived locally and therefore there are a lot of family and friends of him in the area who blame the shooter instead of the burglar!

I do not believe the property owner did anything wrong personally. I do think it's sad a 19 year old has lost their life, but unfortunately caused by their own actions.

The poor farmer being put in an impossible position. I hope he doesn't go to jail for this. The dress on him and his family must be incredible.
The guys who attacked him/his home/farm/family whatever created this whole mess and I've no sympathy for them. Their family are grieving I'm sure but they should recognise the farmer didn't ask for any of this.
Tragic but I hope the farmer is dealt with leniently.

Anyone blaming the farmer should be ashamed of themselves. No sympathy for people breaking into someone's home to rob them. They are to blame for whatever happens as a result, including their own potential death

Struggling to see how the farmer and his family will be able to rebuild from this, those criminals who attacked him have unleashed hell on people who didn't go looking for anything.

Tony Martin went to jail because he wasn’t shooting in self defence. Although his sentence was later reduced on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

I’d imagine that if you are faced with 3 people breaking into your house with weapons then what constitutes reasonable force as self defence is going to be quite wide. If, for example (not saying It happened here) you shoot them in the back while they are running away from you it is trickier to make the argument.