Is the tide changing? Is it ok to bash a burglar?

Okay – from the outset we have to state we are not advocating violence in anyway shape or form. It is not ok to hit, punch and kick your way down the street just because you’ve had a bad day at the office. However a new ruling could see a return of our nations common sense, giving us back the right to defend ourselves in our own homes. In effect, bashing a burglar!

Let’s be honest, burglars have had a pretty easy ride in recent years. Councils have taken their “duty of care” policies way too far. Law abiding house holders were told that it was not acceptable to protect their house from intruders by using barbed wire or broken glass, as god forbid, the burglar might end up injured. Instead it was recommended that homeowners should invest in a quintessential trellis for climbing plants! Why? So the burglar can come up smelling of roses?

We were also told that defending ourselves in our home could land us in hot water, especially if the intruder ended up getting hurt. So what did the PC brigade propose? Should we carry our possessions to the front door and load the van, after all we wouldn’t want them to injure their back on our property.

However it might just be that the tide is turning, enabling us to defend ourselves in our own homes. After all an Englishman’s home is his castle.

May the acceptable force be with you!

Before you go out and invest in a baseball bat, we are talking about being able to protect your home and family in a dangerous situation. In truth protecting yourself in your own home has always been legal but there was a grey area, caused by the fact the force used had to be “reasonable”. How that would be measured is unclear and also put the onus on the homeowner to decide what force would be acceptable, extremely difficult in a heat of the moment situation.

The new ruling is not an invitation to cause harm, but states that householders can use a disproportionate level of force against an intruder, if they believe it is reasonably necessary. It gives the householder greater protection to defend themselves without panicking about repercussions.

Anything else?

Professional security companies really know their stuff and are continually developing new ways of keeping intruders out. However of we want the insiders guide on how to deter an intruder…there is really only one person to ask. A burglar, or in our case a reformed burglar. Our guy on the inside, well now actually back on the outside, told us that the best deterrent is actually a dog! They attract attention by making too much noise. And speaking of noise, apparently burglars hate gravel driveways, they crunch too much.

Our friend also told us that intruder alarms are a big deterrent. If you are in a row of five and your house is the one with an alarm, a burglar is not going to pick you! But don’t be a cheapskate, invest in a real system not a cheap dummy box, the burglar also frequents B and Q you know!