Today is a bad day for some crooks! Well done Gerry Kennedy.

Biggins

Some good news to start off the day!

A good day for the public, home and business owners - a bad day for some crooks!

A BURGLAR shot by a businessman whose van and tools were being robbed by a gang, was discharged from hospital last night and taken into garda custody.

Two other suspects were also being questioned by gardai after they were arrested within hours of the theft.

The stolen vehicle and property were recovered by gardai following an operation involving officers from four districts, backed up by the air support unit.

Furniture manufacturer Gerry Kennedy was with his wife and children yesterday morning in their home at Kilmoyle, Killoe, a rural area about four miles from Longford town on the Edgeworthstown Road.

He heard noises at around 6.30am and spotted a gang of thieves near his factory, which adjoins the house.

Mr Kennedy grabbed his legally held shotgun and ran outside to challenge the thugs.

He became concerned for his safety during a tense confrontation with the burglars and as two of the gang jumped into a car, he fired one shot in their direction.

The front-seat passenger was hit by shotgun pellets in the upper back and the car crashed.

Gardai said the driver of the car made his escape on foot but shortly after officers arrived at the scene they carried out a search of the immediate area and located the suspect nearby.

Meanwhile, the third member of the gang had sped off in one of Mr Kennedy's vans, which contained a haul of tools used in the manufacture of furniture in his business premises.

Officers from Granard, Longford, Ballymahon and Roscommon were joined by the force's air support unit as they hunted the thief on the run.

Around 10am, garda units spotted the van on the N4 Dublin to Sligo road and intercepted it. The driver of the van was arrested and all of the stolen property was recovered.

The injured burglar, who is in his 20s, was taken by ambulance to Mullingar Regional Hospital, where he underwent treatment for flesh wounds to his back.


Wounds

The two arrested men were taken to Longford garda station for questioning under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allowed officers to hold them without charge for up to 24 hours.

The injured suspect was taken later to Roscommon station for questioning. The three men are all Travellers based in Blanchardstown, west Dublin.

Garda technical experts carried out a detailed examination of the scene while the van and car were taken away for forensic checks.

Mr Kennedy originally set up his furniture and kitchen manufacturing company at the rear of his home but this has since expanded into a factory.

Gardai said that Mr Kennedy had been shocked by the incident but that he and his family were recovering last night.

Meanwhile, an investigation headquarters has been set up at Edgeworthstown station and officers have appealed to anyone who spotted men acting suspiciously in the Kilmoyle area between 4.30am and 7.30am yesterday to contact them at 043 6671002 or on the confidential line, 1800 666 111.

Source: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/burglar-is-blasted-by-shotgun-as-owner-stops-factory-raid-3030588.html


Well done to all involved in catching these guys and kudos to Mr Kennedy for his prompt action.
Delighted to see he will be getting all his stolen stuff back eventually.
Sounds like the Gardi made some serious effort to catch these guys too!

Today is a bad day for some crooks!
May we have more days like this!

kirving

Only a single (well aimed) shot as he was 'concerned for his safety' will mean the business owner won't have to worry about being proscecuted. Scumbags won't be doing that again.

bamboozle

i was recently told by someone who lives in a very remote spot of the country and has had occasional 'visits' from travellers, that if you brandish a gun to travellers you better use it because if they will know you wont and will keep returning.

Sky King

Traveller bashing tangent after just 2 posts. Is that a record?

Seachmall

Burglars will soon realise that A) Some people are armed and They will kill you.

It's a profession quickly becoming synonyms with Russian Roulette.

Biggins

I'm just happy to see that someone else has said "Crooks are not getting away easily with their breaking-in and terrifying a family".
The family must be still pretty shook up.

danniemcq

I woulda done the exact same in that situation. no hesitation.

For much the same reason i have a lovely bit of a tree above teh stairs to grab and beat 7 shades of sh*te outta anyone dumb enough to try and break into the house.

Its about time the law in this country started protecting the ordinary people and not these scum

Faolchu

im waiting on teh "but the poor innocent passanger that had nothing to do with anything and was just hitching a lift" post comes in.:cool:

fair play to the owner and fair play to teh Gardai for the succesful conclusion. hopefully some judge now doesnt think teh owner used UN reasonable force.

Kid Charlemagne

Great to hear this alright.
Its time the debate on the death penalty was opened up again though, this idea of "rehabillitation" clearly doesnt work.
Give serial burglars the chair and watch the crime rates drop.

Ellis Dee

Apart from the fact that the custodial sentences that these scumbags get will almost certainly not be commensurate with the fear that they and their ilk cause in people around the country, they will be free to get back into their vehicles and seek new prey as soon as they have been released after a brief spell of incarceration.:rolleyes:

There used to be a provision in law that made it possible for anyone using a motor vehicle in the commission of a crime to lose their driving licence and, indeed, for the vehicles to be forfeited to the State. Has the law been changed and, if it hasn't, why aren't judges using this means of lessening the mobility of itinerant thieves?

danniemcq

Kid Charlemagne wrote: »

Great to hear this alright.
Its time the debate on the death penalty was opened up again though, this idea of "rehabillitation" clearly doesnt work.
Give serial burglars the chair and watch the crime rates drop.

what if they just really REALLY like cornflakes and are a bit low on money?

also could you not also say the same for people who speed? and watch the accident rate fall?

or people who litter and watch how clean our streets get?

Biggins

Kid Charlemagne wrote: »

Great to hear this alright.
Its time the debate on the death penalty was opened up again though, this idea of "rehabillitation" clearly doesnt work.
Give serial burglars the chair and watch the crime rates drop.

danniemcq wrote: »

what if they just really REALLY like cornflakes and are a bit low on money?

also could you not also say the same for people who speed? and watch the accident rate fall?

or people who litter and watch how clean our streets get?

It all comes back to the level of any punishment, befitting the level of the crime.

Penn

Kid Charlemagne wrote: »

Great to hear this alright.
Its time the debate on the death penalty was opened up again though, this idea of "rehabillitation" clearly doesnt work.
Give serial burglars the chair and watch the crime rates drop.

Or, keep them in prison for longer and remove a lot of the comforts prisoners get nowadays so that the threat of going to jail for committing a crime is an actual deterrent.

Y'know, instead of just killing them straight away...

Faolchu

Penn wrote: »

Or, keep them in prison for longer and remove a lot of the comforts prisoners get nowadays so that the threat of going to jail for committing a crime is an actual deterrent.

exactly make it an actual punishment and not a holiday home. ok allow access to education to help rehabilitate so tehy may not reoffend but luxury items?

Sky King

Penn wrote: »

Or, keep them in prison for longer and remove a lot of the comforts prisoners get nowadays so that the threat of going to jail for committing a crime is an actual deterrent..

Frankly I would prefer to remove them from my property using extreme violence so that the prospect of entering it again acts as a deterrent.

problemchimp

Kid Charlemagne wrote: »

Great to hear this alright.
Its time the debate on the death penalty was opened up again though, this idea of "rehabillitation" clearly doesnt work.
Give serial burglars the chair and watch the crime rates drop.

Calm down, if someone robs a sofa they should be put to death?

inforfun

Good outcome and all that.

But cant help thinking this will not be the end of it for Mr Kennedy, reading who were involved in the crime.

V_Moth

Faolchu wrote: »

im waiting on teh "but the poor innocent passanger that had nothing to do with anything and was just hitching a lift" post comes in.:cool:

fair play to the owner and fair play to teh Gardai for the succesful conclusion. hopefully some judge now doesnt think teh owner used UN reasonable force.

In after the liberal bashing and prisons are soft quotes.

As someone posted before, cases like these make it just that bit more likely that criminals will carry fire-arms themselves. Not a situation to be welcomed.

Penn

Sky King wrote: »

Frankly I would prefer to remove them from my property using extreme violence so that the prospect of entering it again acts as a deterrent.

That's different. That's using self-defence to protect your individual property during the act of being robbed. I'm talking about making them not want to enter your property in the first place because the chances of going to jail (if jail was an actual punishment) were too high. No violence and no burglary.

Show Time

bamboozle wrote: »

i was recently told by someone who lives in a very remote spot of the country and has had occasional 'visits' from travellers, that if you brandish a gun to travellers you better use it because if they will know you wont and will keep returning.

Damn right when dealing with wild animals or travellers(Both are the same in my book) shoot first and ask questions later.


Mod

Poster banned.

Liam Byrne

Faolchu wrote: »

Penn wrote: »

Or, keep them in prison for longer and remove a lot of the comforts prisoners get nowadays so that the threat of going to jail for committing a crime is an actual deterrent.

exactly make it an actual punishment and not a holiday home. ok allow access to education to help rehabilitate so tehy may not reoffend but luxury items?

We can't even afford to educate decent people who want to be educated properly.....why waste it on people who refuse to be decent ?

I look forward to a few more similar stories......but then I look forward to the day that "known to Gardai" = "in jail" and the phrase "suspended sentence" applies a maximum of once.

Something tells me I'll be waiting.

DrumSteve

I was readin that and waiting for the part were they arrested Mr Kennedy (not the wrestler). Happy to see this, but as someone said above, this may not be the end of it for him unfortunately.

wyndham

He shot him in the back? How is that self-defense? He should be charged with assault.

Only messing!

Show Time

DrumSteve wrote: »

I was readin that and waiting for the part were they arrested Mr Kennedy (not the wrestler). Happy to see this, but as someone said above, this may not be the end of it for him unfortunately.

You can be sure there is someone in the legal profession already been in contact with the robber who was shot.

rsole1

wyndham wrote: »

He shot him in the back? How is that self-defense? He should be charged with assault.

Only messing!

I think you have to be careful about shooting burglars in the back as they're not posing a threat. Best to go for a chest shot with a magnum cartridge, not the bird shot he was using.

TouchingVirus

I used to live on the same road as Gerry and my parents still do, a nice guy who puts pretty much all he has into his business and fair play for defending it from thieves, I can't imagine it was an easy thing to do. The parents told me it was like CSI down there yesterday with forensics, ambulances, garda cars and the helicopter

It's about 8 minutes driving on rural roads, 10 minutes out the N4 from the nearest Garda station too (within legal speed limits) so fair play for the Gardai getting out so fast.

bijapos

It will be interesting to see how this develops through the legal system.

First of all the Travellers are probably going to sue him, even if they go to prision they'll still do it.

Secondly in light of the recent legislation on "reasonable defence of the home" it'll be interesting to see what legal precedent they set down and if they view shooting him in the back as "reasonable defence".

Thirdly is someone breaking into a property beside the house considered to be a threat to the home. These questions need to be answered and they will be answered in this case when it comes to court. It will be interesting either way.

Whatever happens the case should be fast tracked so we can get to see what the law regards as "reasonablle force".

hooradiation

V_Moth wrote: »

In after the liberal bashing and prisons are soft quotes.

As someone posted before, cases like these make it just that bit more likely that criminals will carry fire-arms themselves. Not a situation to be welcomed.

Hey now, this is no time for thinking things through don't you dare shit on Biggins parade! This is a time for completely unironic jubilation and people falling over themselves to say how they'd do the same and worse.

danniemcq

The shooting in the back could come from a guy jumping into the car and not sitting properly maybe he dived in,

hard to say without having the full details.

car could also be used as a weapon so if he felt that they were gonna come back at him (narrow area or something) he would have used it there.

The point that nobody was in harms way as they were robbing the garage yeah maybe you have a point but what was he meant to do? call the cops and help them load the car while he waits on the guards to arrive?

how could he know they wouldn't target the house next

prinz

hooradiation wrote: »

Hey now, this is no time for thinking things through don't you dare shit on Biggins parade! This is a time for completely unironic jubilation and people falling over themselves to say how they'd do the same and worse.

That's right. What he should have done is mind is own, turn around, and walk away and let his business be raided. Maybe if more people were that accommodating to burglars and thieves they'd be a nicer bunch in general. That's called thinking things through Joe.

Sykk

Penn wrote: »

Or, keep them in prison for longer and remove a lot of the comforts prisoners get nowadays so that the threat of going to jail for committing a crime is an actual deterrent.

Y'know, instead of just killing them straight away...

Or, just exterminate the thrash there and then and don't bear the cost of feeding them on the taxpayer, where the money could go to something better like hospitals/homeless etc.

Q_Ball

He became concerned for his safety during a tense confrontation with the burglars and as two of the gang jumped into a car, he fired one shot in their direction.

Any confrontation of this type is going to be tense, but he shot him in the back as they were getting into a car. As was said earlier, I wonder if this could be construed as assault.

I wonder if the scumbag mentality will kick in and and they come back armed in some way in greater numbers. While we'd see it as justified retaliation in defence of a property, those committing the crime don't see it the same way.

danniemcq

Sykk wrote: »

Or, just exterminate the thrash there and then and don't bear the cost of feeding them on the taxpayer, where the money could go to something better like hospitals/homeless etc.

cost wouldn't be as high if they just got spuds and cheap meat for meals, no tvs, no computer games, i know of hotels that have less facilities than prisons.

bring back island prisons, we have enough of them around the country, lead weights around wrists and ankles

Biggins

Q_Ball wrote: »

Any confrontation of this type is going to be tense, but he shot him in the back as they were getting into a car. As was said earlier, I wonder if this could be construed as assault...

"Your honour, while we struggled, they threatened to come back with more people and/or with weapons.
I feared for my family and myself as they ran off. I was scared they would return given the chance so I fired on self-defence reasons, for fearing the words they spoke to me with their possible return.

I would like to claim self-defence."

Penn

Sykk wrote: »

Or, just exterminate the thrash there and then and don't bear the cost of feeding them on the taxpayer, where the money could go to something better like hospitals/homeless etc.

Where do you stop? What crime warrants death? How much evidence is needed to make sure someone is definitely, 100% guilty? How do you choose if someone could possibly be rehabilitated instead?

The burglars in this case, while being scumbags of the highest order and while I have no sympathy for the injuries they received or the punishment they'll face... Do they really deserve to die? Is that really the best solution? And if it is, how the f*ck do I get off this planet because that's not a world I want to live in.

He should have shot him in the spine. Not many factories and farms have wheelchair ramps these days.

Biggins

Edz87 wrote: »

He should have shot him in the spine. Not many factories and farms have wheelchair ramps these days.

The emotional side of me might see where your coming from - but in reality, if the person was to suffer permanent spinal injury, etc, further hardships might be forced also on the rest of the family of the person shot, for the rest of their lives, not just his?
Do they really deserve that unofficial punishment too?
The shot crook might deserve to some extent what he got but punishment should be given to those guilty, not necessarily their entire family also?

...Its just a thought.

monkeypants

I'm wondering this morning if the Garda reaction was more due to the fact that a firearm was used that the burglary/raid itself. If it was, it's an unexpected benefit of shooting burglars/raiders.

Good on that man, but I fear that it's far from over for him.

Biggins

Biggins wrote: »

The emotional side of me might see where your coming from - but in reality, if the person was to suffer permanent spinal injury, etc, further hardships might be forced also on the rest of the family of the person shot, for the rest of their lives, not just his?
do they really deserve that unofficial punishment too?
The shot crook might deserve to some extent what he got but punishment should be given to those guilty, not necessarily their entire family also?

...Its just a thought.

Thats fair enough I suppose, but the lad wielding the shotgun did not bring that into consideration, he aimed and fired. And seeing where the injuries were the shooter was aiming for the upper body. If a close group of buckshot hit him in the back of the head it would be a completely different story.

Biggins

monkeypants wrote: »

I'm wondering this morning if the Garda reaction was more due to the fact that a firearm was used that the burglary/raid itself. If it was, it's an unexpected benefit of shooting burglars/raiders.

Good on that man, but I fear that it's far from over for him.

The Gardi WILL have to follow proper procedures, especially as a firearm was used.
...And they will know, they will have to be seen doing the above.

Mr Kennedy will be utterly questioned, probably a number of times to check for any inconsistencies in his version of events.
That said, afterwards the Gardi will eventually have to submit an official report to a director of prosecutions - if they feel he might be deserving of a full charge - who will look at any evidence for and against Mr Kennedy - and decide if there is any real chance of a further successful prosecution.

To be very honest, if I was sitting on a jury, I'd be hard pressed to find Mr Kennedy guilty so far of anything.

Biggins

Edz87 wrote: »

Thats fair enough I suppose, but the lad wielding the shotgun did not bring that into consideration, he aimed and fired. And seeing where the injuries were the shooter was aiming for the upper body. If a close group of buckshot hit him in the back of the head it would be a completely different story.

From my reading of the article (and open to be wrong), the man was shot while in the transport?
If so, he would have been sitting down in a seat.
Mr Kennedy didn't fire (it seems) at the easier target - the crooks head - but at the transport itself and the seat and I assume, side of the driver?

As you say, if a close group of buckshot hit him in the back of the head, it might be a completely different story.
Thankfully in this case, he didn't (for his sake alone too) it appears.

Doc Ruby

danniemcq wrote: »

For much the same reason i have a lovely bit of a tree above teh stairs to grab and beat 7 shades of sh*te outta anyone dumb enough to try and break into the house.

I don't think you're meant to keep things in your house for the express purpose of bayting people. For example I have one of these which makes a lovely walking stick and helps when I get the odd twinge in my heel

(skip to around 30 seconds in)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJvLNkFzblQ

I would never contemplate using it on someone unless in an extreme situation though.

upandcumming

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I used to live on the same road as Gerry and my parents still do, a nice guy who puts pretty much all he has into his business and fair play for defending it from thieves, I can't imagine it was an easy thing to do. The parents told me it was like CSI down there yesterday with forensics, ambulances, garda cars and the helicopter

It's about 8 minutes driving on rural roads, 10 minutes out the N4 from the nearest Garda station too (within legal speed limits) so fair play for the Gardai getting out so fast.

Alot of my family are from Killoe. 10 minutes was still a tasty bit of driving to get out there! I have to say fair play to the Gardai too, they were all over the shop! Apparently, one of them went into Begleys!

SEPT 23 1989

The local community should stand with this man if those animals return

Micky Dolenz

I found it interesting that RTE news felt the need to report that the 3 would be thieves were Irish. Who cares?

MonkieSocks

problemchimp wrote: »

Calm down, if someone robs a sofa they should be put to death?

Yes.....................Give them "The Chair"

prinz

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I found it interesting that RTE news felt the need to report that the 3 would be thieves were Irish. Who cares?

In fairness there have been lots of rumours going around about criminal gangs of Eastern Europeans. RTE making it clear who the three were in this case might rob someone of the opportunity to blame it on Polish or some others.

StephenHendry

fair play to him. its such a big risk to take. not only you're risk getting killed yourself and/or being charged possibly by the gardai depending on the circumstances etc. i hope he doesnt get any charge as it appears he was clearly defending his own property

gurramok

That should read - 3 would be thieves are an "Irish racial minority"?:pac:

Kid Charlemagne

problemchimp wrote: »

Calm down, if someone robs a sofa they should be put to death?

1 sofa - no.
The 3 strikes rule for crimes involving breaking and entering, GBH, sex offences - basically more serious crimes that seriously impact on innocent peoples safety/happiness/quality of life - should be introduced. Instead of life imprisonment though, give the perps the chair.

We should also be giving the chair to fiscal recklesness that jeopardises the liquidity of the state. ie - bankers. watch them fry.

Repeat drink drivers? Same rules apply.

Wash the scum off the streets.

The King of Moo

This seems to have been fairly sensibly handled all around and I don't think the owner will get prosecuted. He was on his property and had been threatened, and also it seems his shot was meant as a warning, not to kill.
He might have regretted it later, knowing that it might mean the thieves coming back, but he was acting in the moment.

As to people calling for the death penalty for anything, let alone burglary: I still don't see why people think it would be a good idea. It's long been proven that it doesn't work as a deterrent. It just satisfies some people's violent revenge fantasies.
I'm glad we don't get to have a referendum about instating the death penalty.