My burglar story

[floppybootstomp]

After careful consideration I have decided to remove this, partly on Greg's advice, as facts contained therein may have made me liable to some nastiness.

So it gone. Vamoosed. Disappeared.

And if you're a solicitor or barrister I made it all up anyway, it's a complete fib

[Paul Barker]

It is a very interesting story and no disrespect to you, and I cannot truly say what I would have done in your shoes, but I like to think this.

After he left bedroom push bed and wardrobe if available across door and phone police.

If my family had been in I would have gone out onto landing to defend them and asaulted him as best I could while I had the height advantage as he went downstairs in front of me which clearly he did. I would have stayed on high ground and kept him at bay with kicks from my vantage point if he attempted a counter attack.

But I am pretty certain I wouldn't have asaulted him if I was alone and I would definately not have gone to the lengths you did.

But in the heat of the moment nobody really knows. So I am not getting on my high horse.

In usa by the way you are allowed to shoot an intruder dead inside your own home and nobody ever considers charging you. There was a very recent case of just that.

Personally I think some of the rights intruders have are wrong, there is a lot to be said they volunteered away their rights when they committed the burglary.

But in any case you are still on much better terms because what happened took place inside the house, if you had chased him out and then bottled him that badly so he needed ICU treatment you could be languishing in jail for attempted murder.

I remember someone telling me once if someone comes to your door and threatens you, pull him inside knock seven bells out of him and then call police.

After Tony bullimore what the gun lobby recommend behind the scenes, they will never say it publicly, is keep an unlicensed gun aswell as your licensed one. Shoot the burglar dead head on and then put the unlicensed gun in his hand.

[andrew Ivimey]

Yeah but its too easy for forensics to prove who shot what ... if they aren't too busy.

I came home once to find my flatmate tied and gagged - we'd been done over but Sally was otherwise unharmed. That was when we lived on Norwood Rd down by the park.

[jack]

After Tony bullimore what the gun lobby recommend behind the scenes, they will never say it publicly, is keep an unlicensed gun aswell as your licensed one. Shoot the burglar dead head on and then put the unlicensed gun in his hand.

I've stayed out of this, but a couple of point need to be made.

1. It was Tony MARTIN - Tony Bullimore was a British ocean racer.
Martin shot an unarmed 16 y/o in the back as he was running away.

2. I have to confess an interest here - I have shot most of my life - started as a target pistol shot at 14, did a whole raft of different stuff including full-bore pistol and rifle, including "practical" and "police" pistol competitions, and now shoot clays (but still have an FAC and take the occasional bunny). I have been a range safety officer and secretary of a large pistol & rifle club. I've been around guns & the shooting fraternity for a very long time.

3. I have NEVER heard anyone who is a licensed FAC holder ever condone keeping an unlicensed weapon - ask the police - they are pretty much the most law-abiding members of our society - not surprising as they are highly regulated an monitored. At one point there were over 240,000 registered FAC holders in the UK - crime committed by them was almost unknown. Yes, there have been a couple of high-profile nutters - you cannot legislate against nutters...

Those in the shooting world have obviously discussed Martin's case many times - it was far from cut-and-dried - Martin was not a mentally well man (for whatever reason).

The whole issue of what to do if someone enters your property and you a) have firearms in the house, b) can get to them in time and c) know how to use them in a confined space is fraught with difficulty - anyone who holds an FAC or shotgun certificate will tell you the same.

I never even let my kids have toy guns when they were little as the whole concept of pointing a gun, even a toy one, at a PERSON is alien to me, as it is to most FAC holders.

[Greg]

It was Tony MARTIN - Tony Bullimore was a British ocean racer.
Martin shot an unarmed 16 y/o in the back as he was running away.

The innacurate reference to Tony Bullimore intrigued me particularly because of crime association. Tony Bullimore is indeed a round the world yacht racer. His original and for all I know current home is Bristol. In the late 1970's he ran a night club on the outskirts of St Paul's (riot fame) called the Bamboo Club. There was a murder and Bullimore was seriously implicated, however it transposed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. I have retired ex-collegues who are still frustrated about that outcome.

[Greg]

Floppy, with regard to your burglary story, I suggest you need to exercise some control over what you have written. Remember, under current legislation, old dealt with crime cases and investigations can be revisited and looked at again from a prosecution prospective.

If your account of events in your post here (a public forum) is accurate, you are potentially opening yourself to be re-arrested and charged with Sec 18 Wounding with intent, Offences against the Person Act 1861. You could also be liable to a charge of Attempted Murder subject to Common Law.

Regarding the rest of your posts pertinent to me, I have no further comment because I think the readers, whoever they are will draw their own conclusions accordingly. IMHO, you've probably done yourself a bit of a dis-service, but that's for others to judge.

[floppybootstomp]

You're possibly right Dear Gregory, but do you think I really care?

The situation you outline, I'd imagine you'd be just the man to instigate such a proceeding wouldn't you?

I posted a factual account of an event in my life to try and disprove your labelling of me as a police hater. I also thought it made quite an interesting story.

Compared to Andrew's 'bound and gagged' recollection though it does seem a little lame.

Done myself a disservice? You're probably right, I did point out I thought after posting it some may see me as an ogre but as I repeatedly point out, who knows how a non-professional (that is not a police person or military person) will react under such a situation?

That's how I reacted, it's a truthful account.

It's a funny thing but whenever I have related that tale to people verbally every male, without exception, tells me what they would have done in such circumstances. Truth is, none of them really know how they would have reacted, I certainly didn't.

Your trouble, Greg, is you can't see yourself as anything but perfect whereas I know I'm flawed, I'm just a simple human being capable of right, wrong, bad, good and poor judgement. You, however, cos of that blue serge outfit, can do no wrong.

May I suggest you are actually doing yourself a disservice by continually attacking and criticising me?

You see, I put this thread here to try and give a balanced POV about myself and you, my friend, have turned it into something nasty. You trying to get this thread deleted too?

If the police come knocking at my door now and talk of charges I will know who to blame.

But as I said, I don't really care as I am probably not going to be much longer of this earth the way things are going.

I mentioned one of three daughters is now a teacher, one year so far. Her twin is a paramedic, I just hope she doesn't have to deal with policemen like you in the course of her duties.

Please just go away from me, as I will never be able to do right in your eyes will I?

This time I am seriously outta here, I cannot share forum space with a person like you. I can see you smiling now Mr Greg....

[Greg]

Sorry Floppy, but you've got me completely wrong and you seem to be simply paranoid. My last post to you was not judgemental but rather intended to be informative. In other words, in your circumstances it might be better if you shut up and maybe utilise your options here and delete your burglary post. It's your choice. I have no axe to grind and you can be sure I'll not be exposing anything you have written here to anyone outside of this forum.

[Paul Barker]

Sorry to Tony Bullamore!

On the Police and murder. there was a very nasty man in Middlesborough who wrecked many lives, and he went after the wrong man who stabbed him then ran, everyone in the pub car park put a blade in aterwards.

Nobody was prosecuted.

[Paul Barker]

On the gun lobby.

It takes all shapes and sizes in any walk of life. It was a gun license holder who told me that.

I don't believe in guns or murder.

It is a family trait. My father suddenly realised in WWII he wouldn't kill anyone so he took his weapon to his officer and said I won't use this. He was sent to work in sick bay and became a Medical Doctor when the war was over. Helped many lives and even stood between the local bobby and a gun brandishing crazy man. He never let me play with guns and never needed to say a word, I picked up his attitude to life by osmosis.

[Paul Barker]

Sorry Floppy, but you've got me completely wrong and you seem to be simply paranoid.

The vesrion of events protrayed ticked a few boxes.

[floppybootstomp]

The version of events ticked a few boxes eh Paul? maybe you're both right and I'm a nutter. The version of events could happen to anybody, some or most of who will react in different ways.

That's how I reacted and as I pointed out a few times, I was surprised at the way I did react. I do consider myself sane and level headed but then most people off their trolley do, don't they?

I've never been one for violence, in my life have rarely had scraps, my last real fight was in 1985 I think where I inadvertently got caught up in a pub brawl with my then brothers-in-law. FWIW, we gained the upper hand but I didn't enjoy it at all.

On the subject of children playing with guns, I played with toy guns as a kid, pointed plastic guns at other kids and cut out the cardboard guns you could make from the backs of cereal boxes. Thoroughly enjoyed it too. I didn't grow up to be a psycopath though (or at least I don't think I did) and I don't care for guns much at all.

My only experience of firearms is some clay pigeon shooting near Glastonbury Tor a couple of times, have shot a couple of rabbits on one occasion and once fired several rounds of an illegal firearm into a brick wall. Quite enjoyed the clay pigeon shooting, was even quite good at it but I've never had the desire to own a gun and I like the UK gun laws as they are.

After some careful consideration of Greg's advice, after sleeping on it, I made the decision to edit my opening post, changing a few facts (time and names) just in case.

As for paranoid, maybe, maybe, but a little paranoia, imagining the worst possible scenario, can often save a person from a whole load of hooey

It rained heavily last night, right now it's sunny, which is just as well as I have to work up a ladder outside today. Gotta 100 volt loudspeaker cable run to finish.

[floppybootstomp]

Ok, what Greg said has made me a little bit paranoid so I have decided to delete my little tale of nastiness, experience and violence. The thought that the little shit might have the last laugh disheartens me greatly and I'm not above suspecting a person or persons unknown may direct possibly interested parties towards this thread.

The fact that this was posted elsewhere 8 to 9 years ago and nothing has happened is neither here nor there, it's where it's posted now and who views it that worries me.

So it's gotta go. Sorry bout dat.

I'd like to mention again that without exception every male when either reading this story or hearing it always has a think then very carefully tells me what they would have done.

And that always makes me laugh. They've had time to think about the situation and they are in fact detached from it which means they are not subject to the trauma and emotional stress that anybody in a similar situation will be subject to.

And again, as I mentioned right at the beginning, I am neither proud nor ashamed of my actions. Some little shit intrudes on others property and steals their stuff, he deserves bad things.

Of course (and I've said this before as well) your common and garden human bean, one who is not trained to deal with such a situation, such as a police officer soldier or security guard might be trained, will most commonly have no idea how they would react.

As for Tony martin, I'm 50/50 on that one. The scum he shot dead will be no loss to this world but nobody deserves to be shot in the back whilst they're running away from a scene.

To have filled the burglars arse full of buckshot would have been a nice touch but to kill him? No. And as mentioned Tony martin was not the full ticket anyway.