Why do we, the honest public, put up with this?

srracvuee

i agree with you Monty it makes me so bloody angry with the law of this country as it stands //we can only hope this new home secretary takes this on board and reverses it immediately along with a lot more PC rules that are making folk in this country almost nervous to voice an opinion on any subject which we could so do a decade ago without someone knocking your door, it rather smacks of Germany 1933 /45

Blue Steel & Lace

That is outrageous.

As voters you can either get the people who make your laws to change them, or you can change the people who make the laws.

And I thought the US was overly PC... my sympathies to my cousins across the pond.

Evil Gritness

It's not the world that it is the problem. It is the legal system, idiot judges, and lawyers.

gusdiamond

10 years of Blair. Thatcher wouldn't have stood for all this European Human rights nonsense. The country has gone mad.

Wayne Kerr

I agree the way the law looks at it is he chased after them so claiming self defence does not really apply.

If I was a juror I would refuse to find him guilty even if he chased em down and cracked them over the back of the head with a baseball bat but thats another issue.

If you take part in criminal activity then thats the world you live in don't ***** if you get whats coming to you.

sarah1962

it is a total joke these days, so you can not defend yourself anymore, so these nasty criminals can steal and hurt you, get away with it, it makes me sick, something needs to be done as soon as possible, keep safe,all the best

xfilekel

We should not tolerate this and the laws should be changed or new laws made. I think the real problem is that the system is too easy on criminals (MANY of whom are repeat offenders).

Spawnee

You can act in self-defence as long as you use reasonable force. It seems in this case the Police and the Crown Prostecution Service felt that the shop keeper had gone beyond reasonable force

the_tent_man36

Its bloody ridiculous but its where the politicians,health & saferty, human rights, and all the rest have brought this country too, its sad that we cant protect our belongings, i could go on forever.
Our country has changed forever,and still changing.

Bardic

I agree with Gunther, it's always best to know the whole story. There's a world of difference between using reasonable force and kicking 7 bells out of someone, no matter how tempting.

megalomaniac

We in so called 'civilized' countries are so careful to protect criminals' rights as human beings that we forget that their victims are also human beings who deserve to have their rights protected.

The cause of this is that the legal system is too busy protecting THEMSELVES. Process has become more important than ethics. Yes we need rules of process but we can't let these over-rule our common sense and our common decency.

We've lost the balance - and its always a tricky balance. We don't want innocent people going to jail but we don't want the situation that you describe above either.

Its time to put the concept of 'judgement' back into the office of judges and to expose greedy and self-serving lawyers (barristers and solicitors?) as what they are - greedy and self-serving.

daorangejello

i will not allow anyone to violate me or my family in any way,,,i will defend and maybe go a step or two further,, whatever the law says dont interest me on this matter,,it is evident that the government will not protect the innocent ,,therefore i will,,,

remember---gun control is hitting your target

GÃ¼nther Bischoff

READ THE WHOLE STORY!!!!!

He chased the thieves out of his shop, one kicked him in the crotch, he punched him, knocking him down. So far, fair enough. Unfortunately, he then decided to give him a good kicking while he was lying on the ground. Not reasonable force. His co-defendant has yet to be tried so it's not quite as simple as everybody is making out.

Black Orchid

The government wonder why the crime rate is still on the increase
Who ever said

Crime doesn`t pay

Would be eating his hat now
It definitely pays It would be a different story if one of the government or royal family was robbed and chased them down the street i bet they wouldn't be charged with Assault
Its about time the law was changed most of us work really hard for what we got and we should be allowed to protect our Property and Belongings

A True Gentleman

We are British...the Establishment have been sh**ing on us since time began. We're so used to it now it no longer registers.

Kai M

You are right - I hope you tell the media (eg BBC+Daily Mail or Sun) and then hujdreds of people contact ALL the MPs to make them pass a law to correct this mess. Robbers should be given our wrath, not their victims.

Davy Crockett

It's typical of our current legal system. The crooks are treated with kid gloves and the honest public are hammered by a completely one-sided arrangement.
We all know it's wrong, but no-one does anything to redress the situation. You would think that, if the Police had any grey matter at all they would think of the public first and not try to enhance their conviction rates in this disgraceful manner.

genuine_duck@btinternet.com

I totally agree. As the saying goes "The law is an ***." Also it's up to the Judge and police to use common sense when prosecuting a case. Unfortunately it's not exactly a prerequisite for the job nowadays. Maybe there should be some sort of common sense test before you are allowed to do the job.

annsummerswench

you have more rights if you go out stealing thieving raping or assaulting people then you do if you sit in your own home watching tv these days - smoke in a public place next week and there will be more of a fine then if you beat up little old ladies!

Scouse

This is bl--dy silly and brings the law into direpute

grodno

If John Prescott had chased the thief down the street and punched him on the jaw as he is wont to do, he would have been regarded as a hero, but then he's a Labour Politician and different laws apply.If a little old lady holds on to a football from next door, it's straight to gaol without her feet touching the ground.

carswoody

He would have only been fined if he used more force than was needed in apprehending the criminal. It would be easy to blame the police for charging the shopkeeper, however government legislation has put officers in the impossible position of having to deal with this if an allegation is made against the shopkeeper. If they dont they stand the chance of loosing their job. In this case the keeper is guilty of excessive force.

I agree that anyone who robs someone should automatically fore-go their human rights, because they seem to have no problem breaching other peoples rights.

The true problem lies with our Labour governments policies, the very policies that are now abused by the criminals to allow them to get lighter sentences, or bring charges against those they have offended against. The only way to change this is to use the power of your vote. Vote for another government instead of the one we have now. Maybe things will change, or maybe its too late. Who knows? only time will tell!

TRIXIE BORDELLO.......the police dont recomend these rules! Educate yourself before expressing incorrect theories on a public forum! It was never the police's fault. the problem lies with the elected government. Want things to change then vote for someone else!

Trixie Bordello

The police say, we will protect you. We don't want you have guns or knives, or a baseball bat under the bed, or anything remotely pointy or in anyway "dangerous" on your person when in a public place, because remember we will protect you. Well that's the the theory. The practise is that the police can't protect us, and their recommendations to parliament have robbed us all of the uncontested right to defend our selves our families and our property.How has it come about that our personal freedoms and protections have been so diluted?

jimbob

It's simple really. The police can't do their job, and they are going to make dam sure nobody does it for them!!!!!
I blame all the spineless chief contables, who are afraid to buck the PC line. In case they miss out on their knighthood or lordship.

Mr Sceptic

I saw this case, and I agree, this one is ridiculous.

If it happened as reported in today's Times, surely a self-defence plea would have been successful.

Do remember, however, that the shopkeeper actually pleaded guilty. He was advised by his lawyer that a prison sentence was a possibility if a not guilty plea was entered, whereas a guilty plea would most likely just incur a fine.

It's a pity, but understandable, that he took this advice and did not fight the case.

klewless

It is a pity the shopkeeper did not have a shotgun and blasted them to oblivion. Then again I am not quite so sure who he should have been aiming at.
I think the police have got alot to answer for in this situation.this is blatantly an absolute miscarriage of justice and whoever is answerable should not be allowed to serve in public office

Klewless

billy

THE LAWS ARE OUT TO MAKE MORE AND MORE CRIMINALS OUT OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WHEREAS THE REAL CRIMINALS ROAM THE STREETS FREELY.

quickgun

think stuff like this happens all the time. We are so worried about why and what people were thinking that we miss the fact the dude just got robbed. If he would have beaten the thief to death it would be fine with me I don't care what the thief was thinking HE robbed the shopkeeper. Or you could give all your stuff to everybody that wants it and you have Communism.

Michael B

The right of self-defence exists, in reason as in law.

The thieves struck the first blows. Even before then, they did the first wrong. These facts are not in dispute. It strains credulity that the police, the CPS and finally the court should have come out so strongly on the side of the criminals.

There is in theory a contract between the citizen and the forces of law. We forgo much of our right of self-defence: we may not bear arms, we may not assault and detain wrongdoers whereve we may find them, we may not inflict punishment. The residual right - to take necessary action to protect our property or our person where the police are not present or cannot help is now under threat.

If we cannot trust the Law, inevitably people will turn to their own strength and to ad hoc associations for self-protection. Is vigilantism really what this government wants?

Richard

This is how our system works and nobody moves a finger don't even care or think about it until it hits home.

Joan el guiri

Here we go again. This only happens in England.
It would not and does not happen anywhere else in the world.
It is NOT fair.

This is why I call the police in England 'filth'.

They are a bunch of target-driven evil bullies.

Why are they like this?

Because you, the English people, allow them to be like this.

You will notice that the member of the public in Glasgow who attacked the innocent Asian gent in the burning Jeep at the airport was not arrested by the Scottish police and charged with racially aggravated assault.
Why? Because Scotland has not yet gone mad.

The English police are ignorant violent filth who spend most of their time attacking the innocent, 'loonies' and children.

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