Getting over burglary

moneyistooshorttomention

CKhalvashi wrote: »

You need to be careful you're using 'reasonable force' in this case.

In a previous property I've owned, I lovingly pushed a burglar down the stairs as I'd been woken up by them. The same property was last year burgled (2 days after I'd parked a £70k rental car on the drive, as the house is owned by a friend) and torched, presumably as they weren't that 'professional' with fingerprints and were just looking for a set of car keys.

Luckily, even though it was at 3am, noone was at home at the time!

CK

I thought the "reasonable force doctrine" had been superseded by being allowed to do whatever is necessary now to defend your own property?? I may be wrong, but I have the idea that maybe the law now accepts a home-owner doing whatever they wish to an intruder provided its necessary, rather than doing something like torturing them iyswim. Hitting someone to stop them climbing in a window or because you feared they would hurt you or whatever would surely now be deemed reasonable wouldn't it? Not that that would stop me personally if it wasn't:p. I'd whack first and clamber into my most respectable clothing and remember I look like what I am - a law-abiding, small build little middle-aged woman and figure the correct person would get believed in any subsequent legal "battle of wills" (ie me).

CKhalvashi

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I thought the "reasonable force doctrine" had been superseded by being allowed to do whatever is necessary now to defend your own property?? I may be wrong, but I have the idea that maybe the law now accepts a home-owner doing whatever they wish to an intruder provided its necessary, rather than doing something like torturing them iyswim. Hitting someone to stop them climbing in a window or because you feared they would hurt you or whatever would surely now be deemed reasonable wouldn't it? Not that that would stop me personally if it wasn't:p. I'd whack first and clamber into my most respectable clothing and remember I look like what I am - a law-abiding, small build little middle-aged woman and figure the correct person would get believed in any subsequent legal "battle of wills" (ie me).

Don't know.

I'm sure a farmer was prosecuted last year for assault, but could be wrong.

CK

HPoirot

If it gets to self defence then legally it has to be whatever is necessary in a knee-jerk situation.

OP we were burgled at gun & knife point when I was 9 (I don't know anything about it as I slept through it - police found remains of chloroform spray on my open window afterwards - my dad had a severed tendon on his arm when he woke up to find someone hovering over him with a knife - parents and siblings were all bound and gagged on parents' bed until I woke up like a flower at 7am ).

Long story short, my parents and siblings were in shock for months but the best thing my dad did was have the outside lights connected to a switch by his bedside. One fog light pointing to the gate, another at the back of the house, another by the main door. He would flick them on every so often whenever he felt jittery at night or heard the guard dogs we had got by then sounding a bit bothered. More often than not the dogs had got hold of a rat in the garden but I guess my parents got over it by feeling safe that the lights being turned on would deter anyone hovering about.

Yorkie1

CKhalvashi wrote: »

You need to be careful you're using 'reasonable force' in this case.

Sethisis wrote: »

Also, the all bets are off attitude is fantastic! I hope if anyone is silly enough to try and break into your house you teach them a lesson.

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I thought the "reasonable force doctrine" had been superseded by being allowed to do whatever is necessary now to defend your own property??

Generally speaking, the test for self-defence is reasonable force, i.e. which that is reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances. However, MITSTM is correct. It has been changed for a householder in their property. Force will be deemed to be reasonable as long as it is not grossly disproportionate force. So a householder can use disproportionate force but not grossly so.

The advice is usually not to have a weapon with you that can be seized by the burglar and used against you.

OP, sorry to hear you're still affected by this. I agree with the other posters who say that this sounds like a bit of PTSD. I'm not convinced that all the measures in the world would stop you feeling so vulnerable at the moment. Have a look to see whether you can find a counsellor offering CBT, which is short-term but helps with thinking processes and is well-recommended for PTSD. That's after seeing your GP - but I suspect that NHS lists for talking therapies may be long.

mountainofdebt

have you thought about getting an alarm ?

I can set mine so that the downstairs & garage are alarmed but the upstairs aren't.

I found it very reassuring when OH been away overnight

Sethisis

Again, thank you for the advice, and for not just telling me to get a grip.

Yorkie1 - to be honest I suspect you're right, taking all these measures may not be enough to set my mind at rest. But i sincerely hope they are.

The therapy route is definitely an option, but one I hope to avoid. Having had it in the past I know how long the waiting lists are and would feel guilty taking a place away from someone who might seriously need it. Although if this carries on the exhaustion might have some serious effects (that sounds a bit melodramatic written down)
I will look into it. All of this advice is good, and I'll implement everything I can, and in time this will pass.

Also, having now looked into catflaps I can see of course no child could fit through one... Thank you peachyprice.

Hpoirot That sounds absolutely horrifying. I'm glad your dad found a solution, and I might just use it.

marisco_2

You have already received some fantastic advice but I couldn't just read and run. I don't think you are being pathetic at all. The fear you are feeling now is a very natural reaction to having had your home burgled. It is a place where you should be able to close the door on the world, feel completely at ease and at your most secure. Burglars choose to ignore how violated their mindless actions leave people feeling. I hope you will feel much better soon.

dibuzz

It takes a long time, it's 7 years since we were burgled and I still freeze at the slightest sound in the night.
I actually heard them come in but didn't realise at the time.
Getting a dog helped a lot and I'm already worried about how I will cope when she's gone.

eamon

For my sanity I sold up (at a loss) and moved.

Witchfinder_General

foscam.co.uk



Cheap WiFi IP cameras. That can be set up looking over various rooms in the house (livvy, kitchen, stairs, hallway etc). You can monitor sound too.

They have an Auto IR capability (see in the dark). This will switch on when it gets dark. Switches off when daylight arrives, so you get a colour picture instead of the IR B&W.

These cameras are good enough for monitoring purposes. We got them to keep our eye on the dog when we are at work.

You can set them up to detect motion when you are not there (it emails you a set of 5 pics when motion detected). You can target a specific area, like a patio door for example.

You can view remotely using an IOS App for iPhone, or the App for Android. This displays all the camera views on your screen. Use your finger to select any camera, and even access your saved camera "positions" so you move the camera to view another spot. Or, set it to continously sweep from side to side.

Works for us. And we can keep an eye on the place when we are out and about.

I have a setting saved called "Away" that automatically tells the cameras to go in to moton detect mode. Sure, you get spurious pictures emailed sometimes. But the pro's outway the con's.

In your case, you can monitor the house from your bed, if something disturbs you.