Serves you right, judge tells beaten up burglar who targeted home of ex-rugby player

[jnelsoninjax]

Anthony Hall was left battered and bruised after trying to steal a television from strapping 6ft tall Stephen Whitfield.

Photographs of Hall?s injuries were shown to Judge Howard Crowson who said: ?That?s the risk you take.?

Judge Crowson told defence lawyer Rachel Dyson that although Hall came off worst it was ?no mitigation?.

The case is one of the first since homeowners were given more powers to deal with those who break into their homes. The move came after an outcry over victims being arrested for defending homes and businesses.

Until Hall came before Teesside Crown Court this week it was not known how effective the judiciary would be in dealing with such cases.

Last night Roy Rudham, of the UK Neighbourhood Trust, said: ?This burglar got everything he deserved ? and more. What better deterrent is there? The common sense shown by the judge must also be congratulated. Can we clone him for all our courts??

Hall, 22, was jailed for three years and four months on Thursday after he admitted the September 8 burglary.

The judge told him: ?It is inevitable if someone like Mr Waterfield finds someone like you in his home, that something like this might happen. That?s the risk you take.

?Mr Waterfield might have inflicted more injuries than he received, but most people would say ?thank goodness he was not more seriously hurt?.?

Last night Mr Waterfield, 48, said: ?An Englishman?s home is his castle and he made a big mistake when he decided to come into mine. I was glad that the judge took the view that he got what he deserved.?

Mr Waterfield, a former flanker for Redcar rugby union club, said he was in bed at 12.30am in his flat in the town when he heard a noise. ?I went to the living room and saw him with both hands on my TV,? he said.

?He lashed out at me and ran. I trapped him in the doorway and we started to scuffle. He was quite a strong lad but there was no chance he was going to get the better of me. I had him pinned to the floor.

?He took the chance to kick me in the face and that?s the point that he annoyed me. I thought ?right son you?re getting a whacking?.?

Mr Waterfield suffered swelling to his right arm and wrist and a bruise under his right eye. Hall had gashes to his head, a bruised left eye and a swollen cheekbone.

The Crime and Courts Bill with an amendment on self-defence was introduced last year but the Ministry of Justice stated: ?Householders are only permitted to rely on the heightened defence if they are using force to defend themselves or others.?

Source

[The Evil Overlord]

:)

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Its good people are given more power to do what they want to burglars in there house because there have been a number of cases where people have had there houses broken into and they have found the burglar and beaten them up and they end up in jail for simply defending there own home.

[DocM]

It's about fracking time.

[MikeChipshop Member]

?He took the chance to kick me in the face and that?s the point that he annoyed me. I thought ?right son you?re getting a whacking?.?

 

BRILLIANT! And quite right too.

[Dick Montage]

If anyone enters my home, I would do what I felt necessary to protect myself, my family and my goods.  Key thing here being "what I felt was necessary".  You're on MY property, with intent to damage ME or MY family/possessions.  So... MY judgement is the only one I will accept.