Ken Clarke say we can stab a burglar under the proposed new law:

[CanisMajor]

http://news.sky.com/s...t_Fear_Of_Prosecution
What effect will this have? Will we seen burglars going "tooled up"? Will the front pages be full of the latest dead burglar every week?

[jake-the-peg]

Not quite sure about what's actually being proposed through the hype.

We know that you can use reasonable force - nothing new there.

There seems to be a phrase "whatever force is necessary"

That doesn't sound the same to me -not a clarification -are they suggesting this will be a new test?

Or is this the same law brushed and polished up?

Is anything actually changing?

[CanisMajor]

Well, He's claiming to clarify:
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Clarke said: "We will make it quite clear you can hit a burglar with a poker if he's in your house and you have a perfect defence when you do so.

"If an old lady finds she's got an 18-year-old burgling her house and she picks up a kitchen knife and sticks it in him, she has not committed a criminal offence, and we will make that clear."

up to now you have always been able to use "reasonable force" but that has always been vapourous in it's definition, now it seems that attacking a burglar will be ok and they even give the examples above. I don;t think anything on this is tha past has ever said it's "ok to ......" - ie giving examples of offence that is allowed, regardless, it seems of any self defence aspect.

Are they saying that if I go out and buy a cricket bat solely for hiting burglars and I actually hit one I'll not be prosecuted even if I'm not actually a cricketer?

All a bit "up in the air" at the moment!

[emmie]

according to the radio reporter, if an 80 year old lady is being burgled and she has a kitchen knife to hand and happens to stab the burglar, she won't be proscecuted, well better tell mum then.

[emmie]

her cooking skills leave a lot to be desired, and most of her knives are blunt.

[Booldawg]

I think most burglars are likely to be tooled up anyway. I'm pretty sure if I caught anyone breaking into my house I'd strike first and worry about legalities such as 'reasonable force' later.

[Brenden]

If it is true it's about time victims were considered.

[emmie]

Brenden come on, what are you thinking.

[Brenden]

By the victims em, I meant the householders not the felons.

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think it's nebulous at all. It's pretty clear.

You're in a threatening situation you can use force in proportion to the threat.

There's a burglar in your house you can hit him with a Poker

You can't hit him with a poker leave him bleeding on the ground and then run of to the kitchin for a nice large knife to finish the job off!!

And you certainly can't shoot him in the back with an illegal firearm as he's legging it down your back garden trying to get away!

This sounds to me to be a desperate attempt to play at being "tough on crime" whilst actually doing nothing whatsoever.

[Brenden]

I would say yes you can pixi you are a householder.

[Brenden]

Defending your property.

[ladybirder]

Excuse me but if anyone's interested in the tennis brilliant match going on at mo with Federer and Tsonga.

[DEN53]

I wonder how many fights in the street, will end up in someone's front room, claiming they were breaking in.............(:o(

[Brenden]

Cannot look ladybirder, thought Roger had it in the bag.

[CanisMajor]

I believe this site has a section titled "sport" - perhaps you could give it a visit labybird.

[DTCwordfan]

One is killing the other, on the tennis court - does that qualify as defence.

George Osbourne and Merv the Swerv King are there to witness it.

[ladybirder]

Sorry CM, didn't want to start a new thread. Soz.

[Brenden]

Point taken - sorry.