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A licence to shoot burglars: It's the chance you take, judge tells two raiders who were fired on by homeowners at isolated cottage | Mail Online Burglars who break into country homes can expect to be shot at by their victims, a judge warned yesterday. Judge Michael Pert QC spoke out after a lawyer demanded leniency for a career criminal who he claimed had been blasted with a shotgun in ‘a form of summary justice’. The judge replied: ‘If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally held shotgun, that is the chance you take. You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.’ Needless to say, this has been wildly applauded by the usual reactionary gobshites, who claim that it is some sort of "common sense" victory over political correctness, etc. Here's a typical article from the Echo's resident prick Joe Riley Joe Riley: There is no such thing as a proportional response to burlgars - Joe Riley - Columnists - Views & Blogs - Liverpool Echo A BIRKENHEAD man who chased and then attacked a street-drinking would-be burglar at his home has been jailed for two years. A ridiculous state of affairs when many of the culprits still get away with little more than a finger-wagging. The reprisal was judged to be sustained and ferocious, requiring immediate medical treatment. Yes. And? Few will be shedding a single tear at such natural justice. Little wonder that 27% of home-owners keep a weapon handy. Baseball bats, golf clubs, heavy duty torches and walking sticks are among the most common items in the domestic armoury, as one in 10 no longer feel safe in their homes. In my case, it's my late father's truncheon from his time with the B-specials that awaits any stranger who attempts to cross the thresh-hold uninvited. There is no such thing as a ‘proportional’ response to intruders. No good being told to phone the police, who are usually miles away. And as for setting security alarms, few bother to take notice when the merest nudge, or the radio signals of a passing taxi, can set the neighbourhood ringing to no purpose. (Incidentally, as Joe is just a fat old man who has no experience of fighting for anything, any burglar would have that truncheon off him and beat him to a pulp with it in seconds. And I, for one, would laugh my cock off.) I'm waiting to see the reactionary nobheads' response to this. BBC News - Man shoots own son in 'burglary' A US man mistakenly shot dead his 15-year-old son while investigating what appeared to be an attempted burglary next door, police say. Jeffrey Giuliano, from New Fairfield in Connecticut, opened fire on a masked teenager outside his sister's house. Police later told him he had killed his adopted son Tyler. No charges have yet been filed in the case. "All in all it's a tragedy," said state police spokesman Lt J Paul Vance, quoted by the AP news agency. According to police, the father was called by his sister, who lives next door, at around 01:00 on Friday (05:00 GMT) when she heard someone outside the house and believed they were attempting to break in. Mr Giuliano confronted a person wearing a black balaclava and black clothing, and fired his gun when the person lunged at him with "a shiny weapon". He did not know it was his son until they removed the head covering. The teenager was discovered by police lying in the driveway with gunshot injuries, his father sitting nearby. Tyler was pronounced dead at the scene. No charges have been filed, and an autopsy is planned. Mr Giuliano is a science teacher in the town's school district. In a statement to parents, schools superintendent Alicia Roy said: "Our district has experienced a tragedy that has affected us deeply". "Everybody is just shaking their heads over it," New Fairfield First Selectman John Hodge told the Danbury News-Times on Thursday. "We're hoping the police can get to the bottom of it."