Man kills burglar in UK, gets life for manslaughter.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Kaak
Besides roland, it is actually in our constitution that we have a responsibility to overthrow the government if they are violating our findamental rights...

No such thing is stated in the Constitution.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk


I agree that 'twelve times in the back' dosen't quite sound like self defense, but how does one know what the limit is, in the heat of things?

Its for the jury to decide if such actions were warranted and/or justified.

If warranted you get a not guilty decision. If justified but not warrantied you probably get a much reduced sentence.

[Kaak]

yup, i was wrong. definately declaration of independance....i just knew i heard it in my gov't class oh so many years ago...

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


It was an Asian student, Vietnamese I think.

I may be mixing it up with the man (German) who was killed at the rest stop around the same time ? It caused a big stink in Europe and a drop-off in visits from Europe to Disneyworld in Fla.

[dunk]

Originally posted by Roland
"You would get such varying sentences from different jurisdictions."

Depends again on the appeals strcuture.

Why?

Get a high sentance and you have to appeal. It may or may not work to get you a lower sentence which you may have gotten in another jurisdiction.

[Sandman]

Dont forget the German student (I think) who wa slost in Houston and went up to a door to ask directions. He was shot and killed by an elderly man who said he feared for his life. I dont think he was even charged.

It was an Asian student, Vietnamese I think.

I heard a similar story, except the victim was a Scottish oilman. I suspect now that it might be a myth.

[DrSpike]

Either that or a lot of violent armed old men kicking around.

[Gibsie]

You know, the guy here convicted had a previous conviction for burglary himself. Perhaps this conviction of his is poetic justice. I just bet he's glad that his victims were'nt so quick to try and stab him to death.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Not only that- he had a record of violence and carrying knives. Has anyone considered that he may have lured the "burglar" to his house with the intention of settling a score?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Akaoz
I think that being willing to kill to protect your TV is pretty savage and primitive, yes.

"Without TV, it's hard to know when one day ends and another begins." - Homer Simpson

[MikeH]

I considered it but there was no evidence for it in that article. It is his word against... er.. the dead guy's.

[dunk]

Originally posted by Ron Jeremy
Not only that- he had a record of violence and carrying knives. Has anyone considered that he may have lured the "burglar" to his house with the intention of settling a score?

Maybe if it were mentioned in the article. I would think that the prosecution would have brought evidence of that type to the trial and it would have been in the article. But, well, it wasn't.

The article said:

Peter Kyte, QC, for the prosecution, told the jury: “The law recognises a man is entitled to defend himself, his family and his property only if his action does not go beyond the reasonable and the necessary.

“There is no doubt Mr Hastings stumbled across a burglary. There is no doubt that Roger Williams was a thoroughly bad hat in the eyes of the law. But, as a human being, he is just as entitled to the freedom to live as anyone else. We argue that, in this case, alas, this man overstepped the mark and went some distance beyond that.”

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Typical prosecution summing-up. They're always wary of antagonising juries by overly-demonising the accused.

[Gibsie]

Yes, I think it's a bit far-fetched to suggest he may have lured the burglar to his doom, at least, not without any apparent motive.

[DinoDoc]

If it was a credible accussation why wouldn't it have been brought up at trial to prove that the guy's justification was bollocks.