POLL: Would you use force to protect your property?

12:03pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News

POLL: Would you use force to protect your property? POLL: Would you use force to protect your property?

Frightened householders who over-react when confronted by burglars will get more protection under Government plans, the new Justice Secretary will say today.

Chris Grayling plans to change the law to ensure even householders who react in a way that may seem disproportionate in the cold light of day will be protected from prosecution.

It comes after Britain's most senior judge reinforced the notion that a person's home is their castle, saying furious householders have the right to get rid of burglars in their homes and are not expected to remain calm when confronted by intruders.

But what would you do?

Comments(16)

Ian P says...
12:19pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Unfortunately, if what is being said in the news is correct they are still leaving an opening for prosecution for excessive force. Just how can that be measured? There should be absolutely no ambiguity in the law. If someone enters your property uninvited then no matter what level of force is used there should be no question of any prosecution against the property owner..

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Woodenspoon says...
12:23pm Tue 9 Oct 12

I totally agree with Ian, you should be able to defend your property to the hilt, even if it means you kill them. They will certainly start to think twice before they even break in the first time, just in case they get caught.

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E -Typo says...
12:30pm Tue 9 Oct 12

I asume this will apply equally to caravans?

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exBillericayDicky says...
12:33pm Tue 9 Oct 12

No, you should not be able to use "any force nessecary" without being held for your actions.

What you should be able to do is defend your property with reasonable force. ie, if being broken into the person has a screwdriver - shooting/stabing them is excessive. But if they are armed with a knife/gun then by all means defend with like 'weapons'.

At the end of the day, you must still be accountable for your own actions.

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j-w says...
12:45pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Dont shoot or stab them in the back, don't knock 20 bells out of them and leave them like vegetables, you need only to use enough force to achieve your aim, which would be to prevent them from harming you and your family and taking your property.

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j-w says...
12:46pm Tue 9 Oct 12

E -Typo wrote:
I asume this will apply equally to caravans?
If a caravan is your home then yes.

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Eric Whim says...
12:46pm Tue 9 Oct 12

I suppose dismemberment in the bath-tub would be deemed to taking things just that little bit too far?

I'd make sure I used the right sort of recycling to dump the parts though - they could o in the food waste caddy

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Nebs says...
1:30pm Tue 9 Oct 12

As Shop Steward for the Southend branch of the Amalgamated Union of Burglars, Muggers and Petty Criminals I would like to reassure all members that we will be fighting this proposal all the way to Europe. It will be a sad day for this country when a hard working burglar cannot break into someone elses property without worrying whether he will be viciously assaulted before returning home to his wife and children. You will be aware that we, and our brothers in the Union of Drug Dealers and Traffickers, represent the only two growth industries left in this country due to the policies of the current Stalinist government. How are we expected to get out of this Tory induced recession when all they want to do is stop all hard working criminals from from doing an honest nights crime.

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Sensible of Leigh says...
1:33pm Tue 9 Oct 12

I'm not sure if this proposed change to the law does anything except pander to the Tory right wing.
Householders already have rights. Does anyone know of any householder who has been found guilty of a crime whilst defending themselves in their own home?
I only hope that burglars don't start reporting to carrying guns so as to be prepared for a similarly armed householder.
Burglars or any other intruders are clearly in the wrong and people have the right to defend themselves - this already exists in law.

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j-w says...
1:41pm Tue 9 Oct 12

tell that to tony martin!

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Sensible of Leigh says...
1:55pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Tony Martin shot a man in his back outside his house. Apart from this well documented case, can anyone think of another individual who has been found guilty of crime whilst defending their property.

My point is that this announcement today is purely political and its effect will be that nothing changes.

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Barry Bas says...
2:07pm Tue 9 Oct 12

exBillericayDicky wrote:
No, you should not be able to use "any force nessecary" without being held for your actions. What you should be able to do is defend your property with reasonable force. ie, if being broken into the person has a screwdriver - shooting/stabing them is excessive. But if they are armed with a knife/gun then by all means defend with like 'weapons'. At the end of the day, you must still be accountable for your own actions.
You can be stabbed just as easily with a screwdriver as you can with a knife.

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Eric Whim says...
6:02pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Barry Bas wrote:
exBillericayDicky wrote: No, you should not be able to use "any force nessecary" without being held for your actions. What you should be able to do is defend your property with reasonable force. ie, if being broken into the person has a screwdriver - shooting/stabing them is excessive. But if they are armed with a knife/gun then by all means defend with like 'weapons'. At the end of the day, you must still be accountable for your own actions.
You can be stabbed just as easily with a screwdriver as you can with a knife.
Phillpis or flat head?

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perini says...
11:39pm Tue 9 Oct 12

If you shoot them just make sure you shoot them in the front and do it properly - dead men tell no lies!

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bob7 says...
11:47pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Shooting them isn't as easy as it sounds. If your shotgun/rifle is stored in accordance to licensing conditions, it should not be easily accessible or loaded.

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gazgaz says...
9:13pm Wed 10 Oct 12

to me this sounds like the government knows Crime is going to rocked out of control due to people having benefits cut or stopped or wages frozen
(of course i could be wrong--but i doubt it : )

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