Should the security guard be prosecuted

[silentC]

None of us have the facts on which to base a decision, anyone who voted is doing so with a dead set Kangaroo Court mentality!

Don't get carried away BM, we were asked for an opinion, not a decision. None of us is in a position to make a decision. I would hope that whoever is has access to all the facts. I'll still sleep OK tonight.

[Termite]

Well he wont do it again.
Here in Sydney,the guy who was trying to run down a cop and tried to sue the cop for shooting him in the arm has just been arrested for another robbery.
I'm a Buddhist but like I said at the start, he wont do it again.
Regards
Termite

[bitingmidge]

Don't get carried away BM, we were asked for an opinion, not a decision. None of us is in a position to make a decision. I would hope that whoever is has access to all the facts. I'll still sleep OK tonight.

Sorry, didn't mean to get carried away .... just hate bad guys, people that shoot them, people that report shootings, people that ............... well actually I really hate people that keep me in meetings all morning so I can't log on here and rant occasionally!!

Why will you sleep tonight.... are you particularly busy this afternoon?

Cheers,

P

[Rowan]

can someone just clarify exactly what her job was!!!!!!!!!!!!!


was it to protect the money she was carrying or was it to kill anyone trying to steal it!!!!!!!!

While I have absolutely no simpathy for the dead person ( he chose to attack a person carrying a firearm, surely he was aware of the possible outcomes) , I am however not sure that the end justifies the means. At the time she shot him he was of no physical threat to her, he was in his car leaving. Could she have done something differently, only she will ever know because she was the only person faced with the decisions she made.

Easiest thing in the world is to sit in judgement, specially without all of the facts..................(I didnt vote)

[silentC]

Why will you sleep tonight.... are you particularly busy this afternoon

I've been quite busy all day as a matter of fact. There's this thread and the one on beating your children. Some other silly thing about 'woodwork', whatever that is. I don't know which way to turn I tells ya.

No need to shout Rowan... If she wasn't meant to shoot people, why did they give her a gun? Isn't that what guns are for? :confused:

[bitingmidge]

No need to shout Rowan... If she wasn't meant to shoot people, why did they give her a gun? Isn't that what guns are for? :confused:

AHH now there you go again, got me all calmed down, then pour petrol on the fire!!!

My sentiments persackly!!! WHY GIVE HER A GUN?? A LOADED GUN???

She's probably had training in how to use it too, with those targets shaped like people that Mel Gibson can shoot smilie faces on.

Just my OPINION you understand!!


P

[Honest Gaza]

A good reply Wood Borer, I agree with you.

I'm certainly not defending thieves either, especially not those who rob with violence, but for those who think "he got what he deserved", would you honestly feel the same way had he been your brother or your son ?

I can't see that there are any winners in this sorry story

Yes !!!! if my Son goes out on the street and starts beating up women to steal their money....then I have failed, and he is of no use to society.

Also, there was one winner. Society.....one less dirtbag on the street.

[silentC]

My sentiments persackly!!! WHY GIVE HER A GUN?? A LOADED GUN???

That's right. This is my point. If you hand her a loaded gun, you can hardly point the finger at her when she uses it.

If someone beats the living faeces out of you with knuckle dusters and you have a gun in your pocket, what are the chances that you'll pull it out, or even use it? How many here wouldn't be enraged to the point of lashing out with what ever was to hand?

She would have been better off forgetting she had the gun. It's not her fault, I tell yah, it's the mugs that gave her the gun and showed her how to shoot it.

[craigb]

Actually, from what I read, it was her husband's security firm she was working for.

Another point, we don't know anything of what happened. We weren't there.

We don't know if knuckle dusters were used or not. How do we know that she didn't fall over and hit her head?

The answer is we don't, we're just relying on media reports.

But it doesn't matter if you're a cop or a security gaurd, if you kill someone you better be prepared to justify your actions.

I don't know why we think it's o.k. for security gaurds to carry guns.

[jackiew]

yes there should be a prosecution just to examine the facts but in the circumstances AS I HAVE HEARD REPORTED ( which may or may not equate to the facts) I wouldn't expect her to get a prison sentence.

I was surprised to learn that a security guard was carrying a gun. My son's dad drove an armoured van for a security firm in the uk and wasn't armed.

If someone whacked me over the head I would probably have had a go at them with whatever means was at my disposal.

I'm always amazed when someone who climbs over a fence into a garden where a big dog resides and has chunks taken out of them is able to sue the dog owner. Or when burglars get shot by a houseowner and sue them.

Obviously one has to be sure that the dog was genuinely locked into the garden or the house had genuinely been broken into but provided that the "victim" was trespassing I'd say they got what was coming to them ... case dismissed.

[Zed]

the knob stole a car, sat in a car park, stalked the security guard, stomped the security guard with a knuckelduster, dragged her across a car park, stole the money and was trying to get away in his stolen car when his enraged and concussed victim shot him from point blank range. justice was served as far as im concerned. frigging bleeding heart liberals! no wonder its unsafe to walk the streets with knobs like him around. a clear message should be sent to like minded knobs that if they predate they may be summarily cleansed. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Im against violence in most forms and have rarely stooped to such myself - in this instance it was deserved and timely. if they had executions in this country for rock spiders, murderers, rapists etc I would gladly put up my hand for the role of the guy who presses the button and sleep at night knowing I did a good and productive job.


good on her - she should get a medal! - bugger it - order of australia!!!!

[craigb]

frigging bleeding heart liberals!

I'm no bleeding heart liberal Zed. In fact if anything I'd say I'm to the right of centre.

Definitely to the left of Ghengis Khan though

[Rocker]

Seems to me that she made a wrong decision in the heat of the moment, in shooting to kill. But, if you attack an armed security guard, you have got to expect to have the gun used against you. I voted that she should not be prosecuted, but I think she should have tried to disable the robber by shooting at his legs and shooting his tyres out. However, it is not surprising if, after being savagely attacked, her judgement was somewhat impaired.

If you ban security guards from carrying weapons, it would just give the criminals open slather to commit armed robberies with no fear of the consequences, other than being caught, and they would be encouraged to attack unarmed security guards confident in the knowledge that they would not be risking injury or death.

The case is similar in a way to that of the British farmer who had been burgled several times and shot a burglar in his house. He got several years in jail, but won a good deal of sympathy since the police were apparently incapable of preventing him being repeatedly burgled by a gang of gypsies. That case caused considerable puzzlement in the US, where it is generally assumed that you have a perfect right to shoot anyone who is robbing you on your own property. In fact a sizeable proportion of Americans keep guns for this very purpose of defending themselves against criminals.

Rocker

[hexbaz]

The case is similar in a way to that of the British farmer who had been burgled several times and shot a burglar in his house....

It does have similarities, and I am not commenting either way on the Oz case - but Mr Martin shot the burglar in the back as he was running away. This is what appeared to sway the jury - he was found not guilty of some other charges where self defense was more obvious (not that this made any difference to his sentence).

I am not taking sides here - tough call - but I think if the kid had not been shot in the back, it's possible that Mr Martin would be a free man.

Here is the Guardian article written at the time of the farmer's conviction.

[bitingmidge]

Hey Zed,

the knob stole a car, sat in a car park, stalked the security guard, stomped the security guard with a knuckelduster, dragged her across a car park, stole the money and was trying to get away in his stolen car when his enraged and concussed victim shot him from point blank range

I'll bet Ray Martin told you that! Then it must be true!

What REALLY happened?

By the way...there are so many shootings there that I never take my family to the Point Blank Ranges any more, probably the most dangerous place in Australia I would guess. Must ask Ray...

P