No one knows how you would react in that situation until you are in that situation.
Twice my alarm has gone off during the middle of the night. Both times i instantly sprinted down the stairs and turned the alarm off, then went running round from room to room. In hindsight, if i was being burgled the last thing i would want to do was turn the alarm off, but you do these things without thinking. Both times once you've settled down you realise your heart is going at a rate of knots and i was out of breath as if i'd just tried to sprint 400 metres.
Former world champion Amir Khan used his in-ring skills to foil a gang of thugs who attempted to steal his car.
The armed gang attacked Khan and his brother Haroon as they returned to the boxer's Range Rover after a night out in Birmingham.
But the Khans fought back, and Amir reportedly knocked out a number of the attackers before the pair could eventually escape.
An eyewitness told The Sun: "These guys tried to jump Amir and his brother but they picked on the wrong blokes.
"They parked their car in front of the Range Rover. At least one had a cosh. One slapped Amir and clipped him on the lip but Amir pulled back and knocked him out cold.
"Then five of them went for Amir and Haroon - but they stood their ground and these guys got dropped one by one. They left these men with cuts and bruises but all they were doing was defending their property."
Fighting back: Armed thugs picked on the wrong guy when they attempted to steal Amir Khan's Range Rover Getty
The attack happened in the early hours of Monday morning, as the gang looked to steal Khan's £100,000 Range Rover.
The gang even tried to block the Khans' escape, using a 4x4 vehicle to block their path, but the brothers managed to flee the scene to safety.
A police spokesman said officers had been called to the scene but no witnesses came forward to make a statement about the incident
This makes me laugh. If one of the men had a gun Khan and his brother would probably be dead by now. Just give them your car for heaven's sake - it's just a car!
This is before we consider that these chaps might be part of a gang. Khan could be approached/attacked at any point in the future for what he did. From what I know of small time gangster hooligans, they don't take very kindly to being made to look stupid by getting beaten up in public.
It's not because I'm a coward (even though I am one) it't all about probabilities and consequences. Even if the chances that you would end up dead (or disabled) are a million to one it's not worth the risk in my view, not for a few possessions that you can always buy again.
I'd imagine that with the circles and contacts Khan has probably made in the boxing world he won't be too worried about car thieves seeking retribution.
Last week I had to attack a bank for testing, in one test I hit the screen 37 times in 30 secs with a pick axe handle. It would be fair to say if any one came into my home at night, I would break that record.
so lie in bed all call the Police !!! have you ever visited planet Earth ?
At what point do you think they are to busy watching the latest "im a twat copper in a very fast car" on TV to give a rats arse about you and yours?
Yes someone may take that knife off you or the baseball bat and use it on you, or they may run away, or they may get hurt or you can hide behind the sofa and dail 999 and hope to hell that someone comes before your family is abused.
someone coming in and the possability they might hurt your family, you sit there and think "what would the Gaurdian say?" while your family is terrorised---the things you worked for stolen-----still you will have the knowledge your a "better" person !! or you fight------these shit bags look for the easy "meals" the houses with no alarm, the elderly, they use the PC bollox knowing they wont get sent down.
Or all you Labour types can jump up and down and make a noise and hope they go away. I mean that was suggested by your great and glourious Government
So if you choose not to bludgeon an intruder with your weapon of choice, you're a Guardian - reading,Labour type?
well Guardian reading left wing type i could have put twat instead as all Guardianistas are but was trying to keep it semi friendly,although you all need burning
I had a row a couple of months ago & called the police at about 20.30. They still hadn't arrived by midnight.
I phoned & told them I was going to bed, so don't bother coming. They insisted they would have to come in the morning then, as legally they must attend a call.
so lie in bed all call the Police !!! have you ever visited planet Earth ?
At what point do you think they are to busy watching the latest "im a twat copper in a very fast car" on TV to give a rats arse about you and yours?
Yes someone may take that knife off you or the baseball bat and use it on you, or they may run away, or they may get hurt or you can hide behind the sofa and dail 999 and hope to hell that someone comes before your family is abused.
That's a bit drastic isn't it? They are almost certainly there to steal your stuff, not to abuse your family.
Would I fight off an intruder...I'd have a good go.
Changing the subject a bit, there was a car smash in Bexley Village yesterday lunchtime. Police chase ended with a scumbag smashing his car into an oncoming Renault Clio outside the Kings Head. I witnessed it and got out of the car just as the kid tried to do a runner. My instinct was to chase after him but the realisation soon kicked in that I'm old, fat and slow when he easily dodged my pathetic attempt to grab him and he ran past me. Police soon caught him though.
well Guardian reading left wing type i could have put twat instead as all Guardianistas are but was trying to keep it semi friendly,although you all need burning
Pointless political posturing and distraction. (The issue not the thread). How many real recorded cases were there in England last year of householders confronting burglers/intruders in their own home and being prosecuted?
Why don't they talk about something relevant like the thousands of youngsters who burden themselves with massive debts to obtain a degree only to find themselves stacking shelves in Tesco and with zero hope of ever owning their own home?
Sorry..forgot .they don't read the Daily Mail.
Quite. Headline grabbing Tory nonsense that panders to the Daily Mail reading audience at a conference. Nothing quite like making a whole lot of noise about a virtually non existent problem. Helps to deflect attention away from the real issues effecting virtually everyone in the country - increasing deficit, unemployment, NHS, education, Kermorgant's injury etc
The real problem here is that if more people fight intruders - or if it is perceived they will - intruders may be more likely to come in armed. The safest bet is to scare them off surely. I had a neighbour who chased one up the street. He was stabbed and killed.
Without a shadow of a doubt, my house is my castle and contains my wife and children, you enter it, your gonna pay for it, got a couple of items waiting for em, would not think twice about using.
I don't care what any do gooders got to say don't enter my house and you won't get hurt, end of.
Couldn't agree more. Wonder what would happen if we broke into the burglar's house? Do you think he will do nothing? Most of them carry some sort of tool or weapon and I can't see any of them giving it the "it's a fair cop" routine if you catch them red handed.
I'm struggling to see exactly what it is they are supposedly changing too? We have always been able to use reasonable force and from what I can see that will continue. Still, made for some good headlines for ‘em.
As for the question, as a multiple burglary victim I have always said that I’d already picked out a spot to dump the body (the New Forest is a big place…) but when it came down to it I suspect, like Len, your instinct will kick in and you’d make a decision based on a number of factors the biggest of which being are they are armed and on their own. I do know that I have crept around in the dark with the eff off Maglite I keep by the bed when things have gone bump in the night but whether I’d cave someone’s skull in with it I dunno…
Heard someone force open our front door in the middle of the night. luckily I keep my pool cue in the bedroom so I grabbed the heavy end and ran down the stairs making as much noise as possible. They made a run for it. I didn't chase them seeing as I was half naked half asleep a little bit scared and quite fond of my cue.
I am now 75, but still reasonably strong. As an ex police officer I know that I would fight hard, however I think that an important thing to do is to consider how to deal with the aftermath. I have thought it through, and would look for an opportunity to throw the intruder down the stairs in the hope that he would be severely injured by the fall. To the police I would explain that he tripped and fell. If relevant I would take a kitchen knife wearing rubber gloves, and place it either in his hand or close by. By breaking into your home, he has given up all of his rights in my book. However it is always a good idea to have thought through your story for the Police.
Comments
Twice my alarm has gone off during the middle of the night. Both times i instantly sprinted down the stairs and turned the alarm off, then went running round from room to room. In hindsight, if i was being burgled the last thing i would want to do was turn the alarm off, but you do these things without thinking. Both times once you've settled down you realise your heart is going at a rate of knots and i was out of breath as if i'd just tried to sprint 400 metres.
They will get a right clip round the old 'earhole let me tell you.
Known women who aren't too fussed
Would attack anyone in my house though if they're endagering my family.
This is before we consider that these chaps might be part of a gang. Khan could be approached/attacked at any point in the future for what he did. From what I know of small time gangster hooligans, they don't take very kindly to being made to look stupid by getting beaten up in public.
It's not because I'm a coward (even though I am one) it't all about probabilities and consequences. Even if the chances that you would end up dead (or disabled) are a million to one it's not worth the risk in my view, not for a few possessions that you can always buy again.
Nature of the beast.
It would be fair to say if any one came into my home at night, I would break that record.
At what point do you think they are to busy watching the latest "im a twat copper in a very fast car" on TV to give a rats arse about you and yours?
Yes someone may take that knife off you or the baseball bat and use it on you, or they may run away, or they may get hurt or you can hide behind the sofa and dail 999 and hope to hell that someone comes before your family is abused.
So if you choose not to bludgeon an intruder with your weapon of choice, you're a Guardian - reading,Labour type?
Priceless.
Got a baseball bat next to my bed but honestly think I would freeze at the sight of someone in my house in the middle of the night
I phoned & told them I was going to bed, so don't bother coming. They insisted they would have to come in the morning then, as legally they must attend a call.
You couldn't make it up.
Changing the subject a bit, there was a car smash in Bexley Village yesterday lunchtime. Police chase ended with a scumbag smashing his car into an oncoming Renault Clio outside the Kings Head. I witnessed it and got out of the car just as the kid tried to do a runner. My instinct was to chase after him but the realisation soon kicked in that I'm old, fat and slow when he easily dodged my pathetic attempt to grab him and he ran past me. Police soon caught him though.
Nothing quite like making a whole lot of noise about a virtually non existent problem.
Helps to deflect attention away from the real issues effecting virtually everyone in the country - increasing deficit, unemployment, NHS, education, Kermorgant's injury etc
As for the question, as a multiple burglary victim I have always said that I’d already picked out a spot to dump the body (the New Forest is a big place…) but when it came down to it I suspect, like Len, your instinct will kick in and you’d make a decision based on a number of factors the biggest of which being are they are armed and on their own. I do know that I have crept around in the dark with the eff off Maglite I keep by the bed when things have gone bump in the night but whether I’d cave someone’s skull in with it I dunno…
If relevant I would take a kitchen knife wearing rubber gloves, and place it either in his hand or close by. By breaking into your home, he has given up all of his rights in my book. However it is always a good idea to have thought through your story for the Police.