Not been around for a bit

what a sorry state of affairs! how awful getting arrested when he is the criminal! its so wrong! and as said previously good on you!

 

I only got a caution but still spent the night in the cells.
I wouldn't let go of him, he was turning a funny colour of purple.
Funniest bit was when I was in the custody area,they asked me my name, I told them name , rank and serial number. LOL
The Police were good about it, it would have been better if I'd have just held him down.
Thanks for all the great messages.

 

Quite, but that's easy to say *after* the event. At the time, and with adrenaline fuelling your actions, you instinctively did what you thought was necessary. That's reflected in your caution.

Try not to let it all dominate your thoughts, if you can. Instead, when reflecting on it, use it as a scenario to plan just how you would do things differently should it ever happen again (and I really hope it doesn't)!

When I was burgled it was during the night and I was alone in the house, asleep, with very young children. There was nothing I could do because I wasn't aware of it until the next morning. But, when I did reflect on it (after all the shock, emotion and wild imaginings of "What if" had subsided) I drew up my own plan of action should it happen again. And each time I have moved home and circumstances evolve, I alter my plan accordingly.

Hope you and your wife will soon be able to come to terms with what has happened to you both

 

Had a visit yesterday from our local PCSO, with a bag of freedies, uv marker pen, fence spikes, 10 window alarms and lots of information on security lighting.
The alarms you stick on any window or door if its being forced a 130dbl siren goings off.
Any one can get the freedies just nip in to your local police station and ask for a visit our police is GMP not sure about any other force

 

Glad you and your family are ok Ian but I'm outraged that you were arrested, I thought the law had just been revised on this, giving the homeowner more rights to defend themselves? I don't care what colour he was going, that was the risk he took by breaking into your home.

Was it a formal caution you were given? I'm not sure I would have accepted that, I would want my day in court, no right minded person would find you guilty! Did the burglar get charged?

 

You can't use excessive force like I did, you can use force to protect your self.
It was only a verbal caution, all the police officers were on my side as this bloke was a known burglar in and out of prison, he's been charged with 5 other burglaries in our area.
I could quite easily have killed him.
He picked the wrong house that night.

 

Too right you only got a verbal caution....

I wouldn't mess with a Para that's a fact...

After we had an attempted burglary while we were in we (after the horse had bolted) installed CCTV...and worth every penny ,just for piece of mind if nothing else...I did get a lecture off the police after I said what I'd have done to them if they'd been caught...It was a very unnerving experience and like you say when it happens 'bravado' for me atleast,you're used to far worse, sets in but a good few nights afterward I was a wreck...these 'people' don't realise the effect they have on people..

 

You can use "reasonable" force. As Ian has rightly said (admire your integrity there, Ian) he was a little over zealous

Restraining the burglar until the Police arrive is one thing (reasonable ); holding on to him to the extent he is turning purple and 3 Police Officers were required to get Ian off the offender could be argued as "excessive". After all, a restrained offender bang to rights is better all round than a burglar who dies due to asphyxiation and the outcome for Ian (and his loved ones) would have been a whole lot worse!

Pleased to hear he has been charged: sad that 5 others had to experience burglary though.