Updated: 78 Year old pensioner cleared of killing burglar

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Let me assure you that the pensioners wife is being well looked after.

The police are always being criticised for many things. But they are just doing there job - by protecting the victims of crime.

In my association with the police service over 30 years. IF the public really saw what the police have to do. They would not treat the police so badly.

Sadly, in this case they had no choice in arresting the pensioner. Its the law.

Sadly, the burglar was murdered in the process. But, what makes me sick is the aggro that the pensioner and his wife are having to put up with now.

In the news today, we have residents taking down the flowers that have been put up by the travelling community. And this in turn is being taken down by the traveller community. And comments have been made.

And that threats have been made.

You are ALLOWED by law to protect your property, BUT, cannot use force against the intruder.
Its wrong, but sadly you only have to look at the guy who shot and killed a burglar. He was sent to prison.

ANYONE can carry out a citizens arrest under common law.

[Hom3r]

The burgler wasn't murdered, he died.

[weenie]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

It's now been reported that actual threats have been made against the gentleman concerned and that they have been put into a police safe house with round the clock police protection.

In addition, the crimes committed by the deceased include robbing other homes and swindling elderly people out of their life savings.

In an outrageously distasteful act, friends and family of the deceased have been placing tributes, cards, flowers etc outside the house!

In the night, someone has thrown them to the ground (including those placed by his children).

It has been argued that everybody has a right to grieve and that this act will cause more upset to his young children who may not even know what their father gets up to, all they know is that their father is dead.

What do others think about this?

I think that the crimes they committed especially on the elderly were nothing but appalling and really cowardice, as they seemed to seek their victims by age and just how vulnerable they were.

I don't think normal people will ever understand as to why the reasons the family and friends feel the need to lay flowers, cards etc outside the home of Mr Richard Osborn-Brooks. In regards to people throwing the family's tributes to the ground in my opinion the family and friends will see this as an act of disrespect, where most law abiding people see this as nothing but deviant behavior and lack of respect to the real victim in whom who's life will never be the same again for fear of attack.

Apparently one of the deceased family or friends said he was not a monster and maybe in his/her life breaking into homes, praying on the elderly and swindling hard working people out of money is done by someone who is good and kind, but in my world this way of life is truly a monstrous carried out by monsters.

Praying on the old and vulnerable in my book makes you a cowardice monster.

Having said the above it is the innocent that suffers the victims of his crime and now his children in whom I doubt will learn from their fathers way of life as by all accounts he was a career criminal, I'm afraid society can only hope that his children learn from the mistakes their father made in life.

I do really hope that his children grow up to be law abiding citizens and follow the Golden Rule (Do to others what you want them to do to you)

In regards to the laying of flowers most people will never understand their mentality by laying flowers in the neighbourhood of Mr Osborn-Brooks nor them ours simply because our way of life is at opposite ends of the scale.

I would have burned those tributes they left the burglar, after ripping them down so they cannot put them back up.

I believe they were put up and ripped down 3 times yesterday by the locals.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

The burgler wasn't murdered, he died.

a work related injury .

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Let me assure you that the pensioners wife is being well looked after.

The police are always being criticised for many things. But they are just doing there job - by protecting the victims of crime.

In my association with the police service over 30 years. IF the public really saw what the police have to do. They would not treat the police so badly.

Sadly, in this case they had no choice in arresting the pensioner. Its the law.

Sadly, the burglar was murdered in the process. But, what makes me sick is the aggro that the pensioner and his wife are having to put up with now.

In the news today, we have residents taking down the flowers that have been put up by the travelling community. And this in turn is being taken down by the traveller community. And comments have been made.

And that threats have been made.

You are ALLOWED by law to protect your property, BUT, cannot use force against the intruder.
Its wrong, but sadly you only have to look at the guy who shot and killed a burglar. He was sent to prison.

ANYONE can carry out a citizens arrest under common law.

If it is the law, Arthur, then the law should be changed.

And you ARE entitled to use force against intruders. You are not expected to sit meekly by letting them do their worst. What planet are you on?

It's Arthur Old Boy while he often means well his views rarely relate to reality and after his being around police for as long as he states you'd think he'd know about reasonable force.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Mick

I would have burned those tributes they left the burglar, after ripping them down so they cannot put them back up.

I believe they were put up and ripped down 3 times yesterday by the locals.

It's particularly galling as the gentleman and his wife are now in hiding with police protection after threats from this individuals associates and these tributes have been placed yards from his home.

I hope that the couple can at least get someone to get their possessions, but imagine having to move at their ages? It will be very difficult for the lady with dementia too.

I wonder if this incident will reduce the value of their home when it's sold (I believe that they own the property)? Looks like the innocent victims have lost out in all ways.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

If it is the law, Arthur, then the law should be changed.

And you ARE entitled to use force against intruders. You are not expected to sit meekly by letting them do their worst. What planet are you on?

Reasonable force - if the miscreant is running away, you can’t stab them in the back (no matter how much you would like to).

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Reasonable force - if the miscreant is running away, you can’t stab them in the back (no matter how much you would like to).

Wasn't there a case in Manchester where that was deemed legal ?
i think he was climbing out of the window when the home owner stabbed him .

There were a couple of cases in Manchester around 2011 where home-owners stabbed burglars in self defence, but can’t find any where the burglars were climbing out a window when it happened.

[Mr K]

There was the case of farmer Tony Martin, who shot a teenage burlgar in the back. He was convicted of murder, later reduced to manslaughter on account he was a bit nuts. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(farmer)
So no, you can't attack someone fleeing.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Mr K

There was the case of farmer Tony Martin, who shot a teenage burlgar in the back. He was convicted of murder, later reduced to manslaughter on account he was a bit nuts. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(farmer)
So no, you can't attack someone fleeing.

Yes l remember that as there was a huge furore at that time if l righty remember.

Originally Posted by denphone

Yes l remember that as there was a huge furore at that time if l righty remember.

Correct. It should not even have been manslaughter, they came on to his land to commit a crime, probably would have injured or killed Martin, we don't know, they took a risk and one of them paid a price.

Now with these floral tributes and the police telling local residents they must be left alone, bollocks to that. If that was MY fence they were attaching them to, I'd rip the bloody fence down, my property, my choice, it is absolutely abhorrent to have a shrine for a dead scumbag at the place where he targeted to commit a crime.

[RichardCoulter]

I don't understand why this particular spot is being used for the 'tribute' either, simply because this is where he was found and efforts were made to stop him from dying.

They obviously can't use the man's home where he was stabbed and I believe that he actually died and was pronounced dead in hospital.