Should we be allowed to use force to protect our homes?

yes. Definitly yes. Of course in this country the law protects the criminal, they have learnt to twist the laws to suit themselves. We need a reformation of our laws. Im not saying you should be allowed murder someone like texas law, but if someone broke into my house in the middle of the night and I was protecting a wife or child and hit them with a bat or club, I would not like to get sued. This person is breaking the law and by being on my property is threatening me and my family, it should be self defence. I would feel bad if he died, however that should be punishment enough, it is not premeditated.

We are, in all practicality, already allowed to. you can say the burgular attacked you and you were forced to torture him to death in self-defence. It's your word against the reputation of a proven criminal. You will be let off.

In Waterford, I heard that a bunch of students chased after someone who robbed their house and knocked him about with hurls. Apparently the policeman who dealt with the issue said well done to them for it.

In theory, the law is that you can only ask someone to leave if they are burgularing you and not posing a threat to your person. If they attack you you can use reasonable force to protect yourself. If they enter your bedroom, they are consdiered a threat to your person, and you may use reasonable force without them attacking you first.

what I would like to do if there was a burgaler (not the hamburger kind) is go town to the stereo and put on something intimidating like the black rebel motercycle club - love hurts, and crank it up and turn on the lights. When they turn around they see the door locked and four of you standing there with swords and iorn bars. Your fukced lads, your absolutly fukced

You should be allowed to incapacitate them, at the very least.
Killing is a bit extreme, but if it happened while in serious personal jeopardy, then it should be ok. I mean, if someone attacks you with a knife, and you stab them and kill them, would you not agree that that is "Se Defendo"?

"Limerick man was protecting family, court hears

A Limerick father-of-five, who was trying to protect his family, shot three men outside his home killing one of them, a court heard earlier today.

Christopher McCormack, (aged 44) from Byrne Avenue, Prospect Limerick, admitted at Limerick Circuit Court yesterday to shooting 29-year-old David Noonan in the back outside his home four years ago.

The court also heard that the accused had injured Derek Hayes, (aged 36), and had shot dead Billy Power who was aged 29 at the time, in the same incident.

However, The DPP instructed that no charges be brought against Mr McCormack in relation to the shooting of Hayes and Power, the court heard.

Mr McCormack pleaded guilty today to assaulting David Noonan, causing him harm at Byrne Avenue Prospect on June 19, 2000.

Limerick Circuit Court heard that the father-of-five shot Mr Noonan in the back after he called to his house with two other men - the late Billy Power and Derek Hayes - shortly after 9pm.

Judge Carroll Moran was told that the three men were armed with a knife, a stick and a hammer and that Mr McCormack believed they were also armed with a handgun.

Mr McCormack - who was at home with his wife and two of his younger children at the time - told gardaí that the three men came to his home looking for his son Damian “Shakey” McCormack, whom they said they were going to kill.

Judge Carroll Moran was told that there had been two previous incidents involving “Shakey” McCormack and Mr Noonan.

In both of those incidents gardaí said the accused man’s son had “gotten the better” of Mr Noonan who had suffered a black eye in the most recent incident.

The court heard that Mr McCormack has also been threatened by the three men and that he fired at them with a legally held shotgun that he had in his home.

The accused - who had no previous convictions - told gardaí that the men said his son was “dead” and that they threatened to shoot him too.

“I had to protect my family. I did what I had to to,” Mr McCormack told gardaí.

The father of five said he took out his shotgun and cartridges after his daughter had come home and told him that three men were looking for the McCormack home and that one of them had a handgun.

The court heard that no handgun was found at the scene but a knife, a hammer and a stick were recovered.

Counsel for the State John O’Sullivan, BL, said that Mr Noonan suffered a gun shot wound to the buttock and rear thigh area and that Mr Hayes suffered two gun shot wounds to his abdomen and a further wound to his right upper thigh.

Judge Carroll Moran was told that Mr Power died as a result of his injuries.

Mr O’Sullivan went on to explain that after considering the matter the DPP did not bring any charges against Mr McCormack in respect of the fatal injuries suffered by Mr Power or the injuries suffered by Mr Hayes.

Defence counsel for the accused Mark Nicholas, BL, said his client who is currently unemployed, had no mobile phone at the time of the incident and no land line to call the gardaí and that he felt “extremely trapped”.

Mr Nicholas said his client expressed sorrow and remorse in all of his interviews with gardaí over what happened that night and that he has had a hard time dealing with what happened over the last four years.

Before sentencing the accused, Judge Carroll Moran offered his condolences to Billy Power’s mother Theresa who was in court today and said he could imagine the trauma she has suffered.

“This is a dreadful case - a very sad case. It’s a lose-lose situation. Everybody loses, the unfortunate Mr Power lost his life but he is not the subject of this prosecution,” said Judge Moran.

The judge said the DPP had ruled that no charges be brought against Mr McCormack in relation to the unlawful killing of Mr Power “presumbly because he felt that a jury would acquit him because he acted in self defence”.

However, Mr Noonan was shot in the back running up hill trying to retreat and self defence was not a defence here, added Judge Moran.

“What I cannot do in this case is punish Mr McCormack for what he is not charged with. I cannot punish him for the fact that he has killed someone,” said Judge Moran.

Judge Moran said he had to take into account Mr McCormack’s guilty plea and the fact that he had no previous convictions.

He imposed a three-year suspended sentence."



So there ya go, we are allowed to defend ourselves up to and including killing someone if our lives or the lives of those in our care are in danger.Fair play too!