SELF DEFENCE IN A ROBBERY

investment

I live in a quiet neighbourhood and there has been a sea of robberies of late and some of my friends have been badly injured. The police said robberies was up 67% in my area

I am afraid my house will be next, I own a gun and licence and I want to know if I can shout the robbers if they come into my house or even into my garden. I heard there is a new law that lets people defend themselves

Can I put up a sign saying " Warning trespassers will be shot". as a disclaimer

Saruman

Good question, I know up until recently (last year or so) homeowners pretty much had to run away and hide. The minister for justice did his job and I believe we are allowed to use an appropriate level of force but what that means I have no idea. Personally I think if someone breaks in to my house, they should have no rights and if I happen to have a weapon and they die, it was their choice to enter.

The only problem with that attitude is that it works both ways and someone at home might as well be killed by the intruder so they can have a free run of the place.

eyescreamcone

I don't know what the law is exactly, but do everything you can to protect your family and property.
Let the lawyers sort out the mess after.
In this country the punishment for any such "crime" would be none to small.

I would not think twice about shooting a scumbag who broke into my house.
I would be confident of getting zero/small punishment... in spite of what the dogooders will say!

NoQuarter

Your reaction should be reasonable in the circumstances you believe them to be.

Can you shoot a burglar simply for being a burglar? No.

If you shot someone in your garden, you would be basically taking the law into your own hands and you would be doing very well to get off. On the other hand, if you were upstairs and shot a burglar that had entered your bedroom or a childs bedroom, you would have a much better chance of getting off. Its all circumstances.

MagicSean

By robberies I presume you mean burglaries. If there is no threat to you or your family you cannot shoot a thief. Your property is not worth their life no matter how undesirable they are.

biko

Afaik it must be an appropriate response. If burglar has a gun and points it at you - shoot. If he is unarmed, or has a bat, then shooting him dead is not an appropriate response.
There must also be fear for your life I think - you can only use deadly force if you believe your own life or the lives of other are in immediate danger.

As for a sign in the garden, as you have a gun and put a sign up you might get a call from the guards on that one.
Maybe get one of those stickers?

X Gun owner
_ Victim

Wile E. Coyote

investment wrote: »

I want to know if I can shout the robbers if they come into my house or even into my garden. I heard there is a new law that lets people defend themselves

You can shout away to your hearts content. It'll probably work out better for you than shooting someone.

investment

We have set up a local group in the area. There are about 7 men in all. One of the members is a garda. I'm the only member with a gun, I have blanks incase I need to run over to one of the members house if its been robbed. We met once a month in my shed and we write a report and the garda sends it on to the head office.
We have approached youths in the past , from another area and they never came back.
we only use force when we need too.

Since we set up our group 8 months ago robberies has gone down from 67% to 13% over the 8 month period

source

investment wrote: »

We have set up a local group in the area. There are about 7 men in all. One of the members is a garda. I'm the only member with a gun, I have blanks incase I need to run over to one of the members house if its been robbed. We met once a month in my shed and we write a report and the garda sends it on to the head office.
We have approached youths in the past , from another area and they never came back.
we only use force when we need too.

Since we set up our group 8 months ago robberies has gone down from 67% to 13% over the 8 month period

A bit like this?


OP if you really have a Garda in your little band of merry men, then why not ask him this question? It is something he would be able to counsel you on. Also I have to admit, I find it hard to believe a member of AGS would be happy to have you running around the place with a firearm acting as a vigilante.

I'm going to have to call shenanigans on this one.

Any member of AGS will tell you that you can only use reasonable force when apprehending a suspect. Even us members have to use reasonable force when arresting someone.

Wile E. Coyote

investment wrote: »

Since we set up our group 8 months ago robberies has gone down from 67% to 13% over the 8 month period

Your contradicting yourself. In the OP less than an hour ago robberies have gone up to 67% recently. Now your after getting them down to 13%. If you got them to drop by 54% in 8 months why are you afraid?

investment

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

Your contradicting yourself. In the OP less than an hour ago robberies have gone up to 67% recently. Now your after getting them down to 13%. If you got them to drop by 54% in 8 months why are you afraid?

The garda told us all about the new law. I dont want to tell him that I have a gun and I want to shoot a person , it would make me look bad infront of him.

investment

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

Your contradicting yourself. In the OP less than an hour ago robberies have gone up to 67% recently. Now your after getting them down to 13%. If you got them to drop by 54% in 8 months why are you afraid?

I said robberies was up 67%:rolleyes:..I did not say recently

13% is still to high for out area, back a few years ago it was only 2%

MagicSean

investment wrote: »

I said robberies was up 67%:rolleyes:..I did not say recently

13% is still to high for out area, back a few years ago it was only 2%

2% of what?

RedXIV

Slightly off topic but what would happen if you obviously shot not to kill? i.e. you shot a burglar in the leg? Obviously this is not as detrimental to the burglar as a shot in the head so would it be seen as force appropriate for a lesser danger?

Not sure If I'm explaining this well, If he comes at you and your family with a gun then you might be justified shooting to kill.

If you are upstairs and he's trying to break through your front door and you shoot him in the arm, would this still be too extreme?

investment

RedXIV wrote: »

Slightly off topic but what would happen if you obviously shot not to kill? i.e. you shot a burglar in the leg? Obviously this is not as detrimental to the burglar as a shot in the head so would it be seen as force appropriate for a lesser danger?

Not sure If I'm explaining this well, If he comes at you and your family with a gun then you might be justified shooting to kill.

If you are upstairs and he's trying to break through your front door and you shoot him in the arm, would this still be too extreme?

You have hit the nail on the head
I never thought of that, would a person die if they were shout anywhere in the leg?

investment

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

2% of what?

Robberies :rolleyes:

MagicSean

RedXIV wrote: »

Slightly off topic but what would happen if you obviously shot not to kill? i.e. you shot a burglar in the leg? Obviously this is not as detrimental to the burglar as a shot in the head so would it be seen as force appropriate for a lesser danger?

Not sure If I'm explaining this well, If he comes at you and your family with a gun then you might be justified shooting to kill.

If you are upstairs and he's trying to break through your front door and you shoot him in the arm, would this still be too extreme?

Shot guns do not allow for that kind of accuaracy. You have to ask what is your purpose for shooting him in the leg anyway?

investment wrote: »

You have hit the nail on the head
I never thought of that, would a person die if they were shout anywhere in the leg?

They very well could.

investment wrote: »

Robberies :rolleyes:

What? That makes no sense. You can't just say robberies in an area are 2%. 2% of what?

RedXIV

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Shot guns do not allow for that kind of accuaracy. You have to ask what is your purpose for shooting him in the leg anyway?

True but not everyone owns a shotgun. And the purpose would be to scare him off. I'm not a criminal myself but if I was breaking into a house and got shot in the arm, I'd reconsider my plan of action

Victor

investment wrote: »

I have a gun and I want to shoot a person

You know how bad this looks? :pac:

NoQuarter

If you shoot to injure the legal rules transfer from the common law to the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, sections 18-20 govern non fatal self defence.

The rules are very similar, you have no obligation to retreat, you can take precautionary steps to defend yourself, but any force must be reasonable. Anything more than reasonable and instead of being charged with murder/manslaughter you will be changed with assault.

investment

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

What? That makes no sense. You can't just say robberies in an area are 2%. 2% of what?

2% of the house were robbed

MagicSean

investment wrote: »

2% of the house were robbed

So last year over 50% of the houses in your estate where robbed? Where are you getting these figures?

charlemont

Blast them..


These tiger kidnappings and home invasions are a disgrace, Id say just shoot and worry about the consequences later, An injured or dead burglar/kidnapper is better than you or your family injured or dead.

Just keep your bedroom door locked then if said burglars/kidnappers start to kick door in, let a shot or shots off towards the door that way you didn't aim as such at a head or leg etc.

Uriel.

To be honest, gun, knife, light bulb, whatever, I wouldn't like to confront a burglar and injury him seriously (eg shoot to wound, beat to a pulp), for fear of future retaliation to you and/or your family. If it was me, I'd be on to the Gardai immediately and waiting upstairs for them to arrive and do their thing(i.e. I wouldn't be going to confront the burglar intentionally). But if my life was in imminent danger and a confrontation with the burglar was unavoidable I'd sooner just kill the person. Wouldn't want to live in fear. All or nothing for me, might sound crazy but that's my feeling on it

angelfire9

charlemont wrote: »

Blast them..


These tiger kidnappings and home invasions are a disgrace, Id say just shoot and worry about the consequences later, An injured or dead burglar/kidnapper is better than you or your family injured or dead.

Just keep your bedroom door locked then if said burglars/kidnappers start to kick door in, let a shot or shots off towards the door that way you didn't aim as such at a head or leg etc.

Shoot towards the door????????? :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Two obvious possible consequences
A) The bullet goes through the door and kills one of the robbers = manslaughter charge for you
The bullet ricochets off the door and hits you or one of your family = funeral for you

Guns are NOT AFAIK a reasonable defence to the threat of lost property which is essentially what a burglary is

What on earth could you possibly have in your house that is worth risking life & limb (or a possible jail term) in defence of?

(Unless of course you are a bank manager or post office worker and its a tiger situation which is a different kettle of fish)

As someone who was assaulted by a burglar after challenging him let me assure you NOTHING in your house is worth almost getting killed over!!

investment

I glad to see some support on here.Thanks gentlemen

Wile E. Coyote

investment wrote: »

I glad to see some support on here.Thanks gentlemen

Please if you are seriously considering this don't us the advice or 'support' from anonymous people on the Internet as part of your defence. Not only will you be jailed they might also look to have you committed.

MapForJ

How does one get a gun legally? Is there some law you have to be a member of a shooting club and the gardai have to call to see where it is stored? And if stored as required how will it be available in a robbery?