Got this from a friend in the States, expect it's been covered in the Irish papers also. If true, will hopefully go some way towards dealing with the scumbags who break into peoples homes .... while I'm not sure about us all having guns in our homes, there's gotta be something we can hit an intruder over the head with and get away with it http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Irish-gun-owners-can-now-shoot-intruders--98813794.html
The law never required a homeowner to retreat in any case. The legislation just puts people at ease. It was a good political move though for Ahern to ease the fears of the rural population in particular. He'll need to do more than that to get votes though.
It's been all over the radio and newspapers this week. It seems they're only clarifying and cleaning up the laws rather than changing them in any big way. Analyzing justifiable, reasonable and necessary force etc..... only makes it more obscure to me!
But if the homeowner approached the intruder he could've been seen as the aggressor. Thats why it was advisable (legally) to retreat but it wasn't law. They will always be obscure and open for interpretation in order to judge each case on its own merits and circumstances. You can't have a law defining the exact amount of force allowable.
It's always been enshrined in the constitution that you have a right to protect your person, property and family. But it comes down to the courts interpretation of that right, balanced with what is perceived to be right in a "civilised" society and ensuring people don't take the law into their own hands. It's definitely gone too far to protecting the scumbags in the last 15 years but it raises issues of vigilantism if it goes too far the other way. Trying to find the right balance is the difficulty.
Has anyone here ever confronted an intruder in their house? Or what would you do if you were woken during the night by someone breaking in, or already inside? I would like to think that I would have a go but if I was actually in that situation then I don't know.....
I;ve a nice bat by my bedside waiting to be introduced to an intruders face. But as you said, until your in the situation, who knows. I know years ago when we were kids and lived in Ballymun, my aul lad caught someone, gave him a hiding and then rang the cops.
I tend to avoid confrontations...so ive got a Dog....and as an added deterrent,ive got pictures of my Mother in Law..all over the house!
Honestly, the best thing to do is either ring the gardai or make noise/shout down the stairs etc. The last thing most burglars want is a confrontation or to be seen. If they're 'rumbled' they'll leg it. I'm sure we'd all love to catch the f*cker and give him a hiding but you never know what drugs they're pumped up on or what weapons they have so its always best to give them an 'out'