Some of you may have seen the recent court case in Scotland where James Simpson was tragically murdered when trying to save his beloved Land Rover from thieves.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-19422077
It would appear that they had previously scouted the area, knew where the LR was kept, and already had a buyer for it.
I just can't see me doing anything different to what Mr Simpson did - its the natural reaction isn't it? Yes, if you are rational and sitting behind a keyboard you might say something different but if someone has smashed your front door to get your car keys, you are going to give chase aren't you?
Some say "if they want it they are going to get it" no matter what security devices you have, someone else I know leaves his car unlocked so that people won't make any damage to find out that he doesn't have anything of valuable inside the car.
When I used to work in supermarkets, we were instructed not to chase shoplifters once they had left the store - I would regularly find myself chasing folk through the carpark and into underpasses for the sake of a bottle of vodka that didn't actually belong to me - the adrenalin kicks in and the rationale disappears!
At the end of the day it is just a lump of metal but that lump of metal is a symbol for, in most cases, lots of hard work, earnings, sacrifices etc and human nature is to not let go. Whether it be a Ferrari, Land Rover or CityRover, its still someones pride and joy and adrenalin will kick in.
A terrible tragedy and God knows what his wife felt when she witnessed it all.
I remember a thread, possibly in the days of HJ, when one of the contributors had his house ransacked, his family threatened, until he gave up his car keys.
Really makes you think, what would you like to think you would do in these circumstances, and what do you think you would actually do??
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Good for them, I suspect the CPS won't go any further in view of recent ' Defend your own home ' statements by HMG.
If I had a decent gun and was confronted by four intruders, I'd sure be taking my chances before a British jury.
Done it once...but it was my garage and only a smack in the mouth, not a bullet.
Ted
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The arrest is merely precautionary procedure. Funny how they chose GBH as the arrest-able offence tho, thats a bit low key for shooting someone.
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>> The arrest is merely precautionary procedure.
>>
Precaution against what?
For his own safety, in case gang members come looking for him?
In case he is a danger to the public, and might start defending himself against more intruders?
In case having defended his home, he then decides to abandon it and flee the country?
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>> >> The arrest is merely precautionary procedure.
>> >>
>>
>> Precaution against what?
>>
>> For his own safety, in case gang members come looking for him?
>> In case he is a danger to the public, and might start defending himself against
>> more intruders?
>> In case having defended his home, he then decides to abandon it and flee the
>> country?
You miss the word procedure. A possible crime has been committed and needs to be investigated, and to do that properly you need to arrest them. The last thing you want is the intruders getting off because in court they mange to divert blame elsewhere, you want that line of defence covered.
Now get off your moral outrage high horse and dont shoot the messenger.
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>Really makes you think, what would you like to think you would do in these circumstances, and what do you think you would actually do??
I'd like to think I'd react like Liam Neeson in Taken.
Realistically I have found that fear is a lot more powerful than you'd think it was going to be. On rare occasions when I've been in danger I would say I'd reacted "adequately and sensibly". i.e. not embarassing, but not going to impress anybody either.
On the other hand, I'm still here, so I didn't get it badly wrong.
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Clearly the guys were dangerous, they are now armed with my insured car.
I know what I would do. Or rather wouldnt do. A cool head is your best weapon, gives you the chance to choose to be offensive or defensive.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 2 Sep 12 at 23:33
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I leave my car keys downstairs (nowhere in view and we have an outer/inner front door setup) so they can be found. A number of years ago someone we know heard someone downstairs and came down to investigate...
... they found thieves looking for car keys to the performance car outside (don't recall what because I didn't know them at the time) and they reacted to protect the family upstairs. The weapons were lumps of wood with nails through them - the person I mention drove them away but was injured.
The car was deemed to be a liability and sold at a loss within days.
When my Golf GTi mark 4 was stolen I was sort of glad they just got the keys. As around that time they motoring thieves were even stopping cars at gun point. And mine was just a Golf. And it was a bit too small for what I really needed soon after and the ride very hard.
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It is better to be a coward for one minute, than dead for the rest of your life.
or
It is better to die than be a coward.
?
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Only if you are a samurai.
In any case, there's nothing cowardly about preserving your life and possibly the lives of your family.
That does not cover every circumstance of course - think of a rescue situation. Even then personal safety comes first if you follow the procedures of the emergency services. ISTR a story about police or possibly PCSOs refusing to pull somebody from a pond because they had nOt been trained in water rescue. If the reason for not helping is fear of a reprimand then I guess most people would call that cowardice.
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 3 Sep 12 at 08:03
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Addendum: There was some controversy about the PCSO story, which I have just looked up. Not so straightforward apparently. The initial reports were that two PCSOs "watched [a 10 year old boy] drown" but in fact they could not see him and he had been in the water for some time - it would have been an underwater search.
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Murdered for his Land Rover - Old Navy
