Man Cuts Ear Off Intruder With Katana, Avoids Prison

Will-O'-The-Wisp

Will-O'-The-Wisp

Cardcaptor
It is from The Sun, but make of it what you will:


Builder David Fullard, 46, leapt into action as the brute and a pal forced their way into his home and threatened to rape his girlfriend and kill his sons.

He grabbed the antique sword and sliced off the left lug of the yob - named Michael SEVERS.

Prosecutors said Mr Fullard went too far for self-defence and charged him with unlawful wounding. He faced up to EIGHT YEARS in jail.

A jury took less than 50 minutes to acquit him at Hull Crown Court.

Afterwards he said: "I would do it again under the same circumstances.

"You cannot stand around and do nothing when someone comes to your house and threatens your family."

Their ordeal came last March when Severs and pal Michael Smith - both high on vodka and cannabis - stormed into the Fullards' home in Brough, East Yorks, demanding money.

They were armed with a spade and knuckle-duster. Smith picked up the sword as they threatened to rape Mr Fullard's partner Sue, 53.

They also said they would kill his sons Tom, 17, and Danny, 14, and torch the house.

Mr Fullard grabbed the sword and lunged once at Severs.

He told the jury: "I wanted the flat of the sword to hit him. I didn't want it to lead to injury.

"As soon as I hit him I went to ring the police. I was just panicking." Surgeons reattached the ear.

Neighbours described Mr Fullard as "an honest, caring, family man at the heart of the community".

He was cleared in November but it can only be reported now that cases against Severs, 22, and Smith, 19, have finished.

Yesterday the two jobless thugs got six-month suspended sentences and 100 hours of community service after admitting affray.

Last night Mr Fullard said: "It's a bad result. They got a slap on the wrists.

"Sue is still quite worried about answering the door. We have had a lot of sleepless nights."

The case mirrors that of businessman Munir Hussain, 53, who was jailed for attacking an armed burglar in High Wycombe, Bucks.

He was freed on appeal after an outcry.
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Katana.gif


FINALLY, someone uses Self-defence and doesn't get sent to prison for it :D

Also, the above father is bad-ass, when I have kids, I'm gonna be just like him
 
Ryo Chan said:
Mutsumi said:
I thought katanas were legal to own in your own home, just not to carry in public?
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nope, it came under the new laws prohibiting knives ect
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So what do they expect all the people who legally bought expensive katanas for display purposes to do with them?
 
I must ask you to provide some evidence that owning a katana in your own home is illegal, as the research I have done says it is not illegal to own a katana. I'm sure this will be no problem if it is as you say.

http://www.bkcg.co.uk/guide/law.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_legislation
http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/ ... sandthelaw

I do know that the law on the sale of knives was changed slightly a few years ago which prevented the sale of cheap katanas. Whether this is relevant to this though I do not know.
 
Ryo Chan said:
Looks like i'm slightly wrong, u can own them , but u can't take them out in public or buy them
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Phew, that is a relief. You see I bought a katana, wakizashi and tanto as a set the week before the law changed. It was a bargain, so it would be a shame to not be able to keep them.
 
Would this mean that the only legally-owned blades of such a sort are the ones purchased before the change in legislation?

It sounds akin to the situation involving cars manufactured without seat belts.
 
I managed to buy my katana jsut after the law changed. I actually keep mine on the landing for the whole reason of intruder. I can handle it better than a baseball bat. In fact, I think that Severe is damn lucky. If I'd been the father in that situation I may not have been able to be that cool. I'd imagine more than a lobe to be chopped off if it ever happened to me.
 
Ryo Chan said:
Looks like i'm slightly wrong, u can own them , but u can't take them out in public or buy them
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yeah, if they're made before the 1950's if i recall, if it doesn't fit that requirement it has to be hand made

and good on the man, i don't think he had much of a choice really
 
It's kind of hard to believe there was even a question of this man going to jail. If someone is an intruder in your home (if that intruder has deliberately, covertly, forced his/her way into your home), then you should absolutely be right in using any kind of force against them. There was a case in Ireland a few years ago where a farmer was tormented by local trouble makers. One day they were about to rob him and he took out his gun and shot one of them fatally as he ran away. Some people actually believe he used "too much force". What does that actually mean? On what grounds should the person protecting their home be subject to vague and loose definitions of what counts as "too much force". It's ridiculous and the sooner legislation is passed allowing homeowners to use as much force as they can (beyond actually torturing them), the better.

Ryo Chan said:
Looks like i'm slightly wrong, u can own them , but u can't take them out in public or buy them
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No, not "slightly" wrong, you're entirely mistaken. Owning a katana in your home is perfectly legal, as it should be.
 
CitizenGeek said:
It's kind of hard to believe there was even a question of this man going to jail. If someone is an intruder in your home (if that intruder has deliberately, covertly, forced his/her way into your home), then you should absolutely be right in using any kind of force against them. There was a case in Ireland a few years ago where a farmer was tormented by local trouble makers. One day they were about to rob him and he took out his gun and shot one of them fatally as he ran away. Some people actually believe he used "too much force". What does that actually mean? On what grounds should the person protecting their home be subject to vague and loose definitions of what counts as "too much force". It's ridiculous and the sooner legislation is passed allowing homeowners to use as much force as they can (beyond actually torturing them), the better.
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It's known as Reasonable Force. Without Reasonable Force, someone could punch you, and you could then kill them claiming that was necessary for your self defence.

The laws regarding this wont change anytime soon, so I wouldn't get your hopes up bro.


It's worth quoting the last line of that for you too;

CPS said:
It is a fact that very few householders have ever been prosecuted for actions resulting from the use of force against intruders.
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It's about time that the home owner wins one of these situations. There's a fine line between defending your family and murder in some cases. I remember a few years back, a farmer shot a man who was breaking into his house, that farmer got sent down for it. Even though he was well within his rights in terms of self defence.

If somebody tried to break into my house, they'd have a hard time getting past Byron (a 10 stone of pure muscle, Boxer dog) I have a weight set up in my room that I don't train with; 10Kg on one side secured with bolts would be more than enough to inflict some serious damage on any intruder. Failing that i'd pull out my Air pistol, my dad has his air rifle in his room. if they killed my dog or any of my family, I don't think i'd be able to stop myself at just taking an ear off.

Btw there are a few stores that still sell katana's, i know there's one in brighton, i was tempted to buy one to bring home....but transporting it on the trains - it's not worth the risk.
 
Tachi- said:
Btw there are a few stores that still sell katana's, i know there's one in brighton, i was tempted to buy one to bring home....but transporting it on the trains - it's not worth the risk.
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You are ok so long as it is boxed up tight in such a way as to render it harmless for the journey.
 
Mutsumi said:
Tachi- said:
Btw there are a few stores that still sell katana's, i know there's one in brighton, i was tempted to buy one to bring home....but transporting it on the trains - it's not worth the risk.
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You are ok so long as it is boxed up tight in such a way as to render it harmless for the journey.
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Yeah i wondered if they'd put it in a box or just wrap it up or put it in a blatant sword case. Either way, i might take a closer ganders when i next visit the south coast.
 
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