The Shame That is British Justice

Once again the British system of justice has failed by jailing a man for defending his home and family from three armed career thugs. To compound the error, the thug he caught has received a non-custodial sentence - AGAIN!

Millionaire businessman Munier Hussain, 53, returned home on September 3rd with his wife, 18 year-old daughter and two sons, to find their home being ransacked by three masked thugs armed with knives. The family were threatened and held at knife point, before being  tied up and told to lie on the floor if they did not want to be killed. 

One of the sons managed to break free and ran to alert Mr. Hussain's brother who lived close by. Mr. Hussain himself managed to break free and threw a coffee table at the three armed men. When they fled, he and his brother chased after them armed with a cricket bat and metal pole respectively. 

They caught up with Egyptian born Waled Salem, 57, a career criminal with over 50 convictions ranging from possession of firearms, to fraud and theft, and set about trying to restrain him until the police arrived. For this 'attack', Mr. Hussain received a two-and-a-half year sentence, and his brother, who the judge said had less motivation, received three years and three months. The longest sentence Waled has ever received for any of his 50 crimes is 42 months, of which he served only half. For more than 70% of his crimes he has received no more than a fine or a Community Order i.e. a slap on the wrist.

Salem, who sustained a fractured skull and 'brain damage' from the 'attack' was given a non-custodial sentence by Judge John Reddihough in Reading Crown Court, he of course being viewed as the 'victim'. He was heard by many people outside the court bragging to his son that the law could not touch him.

The Judge reasoned that the Hussain brothers had 'used unnecessary force' when apprehending Waled Salem. He said in summation "If persons were allowed to take the law into their own hands and inflict instant and violent punishment rather than letting the Criminal Justice System take its course, the rule of law and criminal justice would collapse". 

To that I have but one retort; Balderdash!!! (and I am being polite).

For a start, if Salem had got away, the chances of him being caught by the police were infinitesimal, and both he and the police know that. Most burglars get away with their crimes and are never caught because the police do not have the manpower or resources to catch them. 

Also, if more burglars were tackled by their victims and put in hospital there would be less of them, because they may well think twice before taking the chance of being caught by an irate house-owner.

The aftermath of the affair has led to Hussain's father having three strokes and his wife a heart attack. The family have since surrounded their house with alarms and surveillance cameras for fear that the other two, who have not yet been caught (see what I mean), will pay them a return visit.

The law enforcement system in the United Kingdom is totally incapable of protecting us honest citizens from the activities of criminals, as is evidenced by the soaring crime rate. In fact, it has been amply demonstrated that the law is actually on the side of the criminal, for they receive far more protection from it. 

A recent law amendment states that a person may defend his property and family using only force that is 'reasonable and not excessive'. But force that is reasonable to me may not be to you, and vice versa. It would seem the judge is left to decide.

If I and my wife are threatened by a knife or gun yielding thug and I belt him with a baseball bat, is that reasonable force? It would seem from Judge Reddihaugh's standpoint I should ask him politely to go away, and if he refuses I should request he hold out his hand so I may give him 'six of the best' with a cane. Would that please your Lordship??

It's time more Judges and MP's were on the receiving end of crime.

Roy.