I read with interest the article by correspondent Sarah Halls regarding 'Real Story' on BBC1 21/7/03.
Sarah claims that home defence using firearms as in the U.S. would result in violent burglaries rocketing. I am generally loath to compare U.S. crime with U.K. crime as there are so many different variables, however in the U.S. 'hot' burglaries (i.e. one where the householder is at home) are extremely unusual. This is because the criminals take care not to invade an occupied home for fear of being shot. In the U.K. 'hot' burglaries run at around 50% of the total. The government's Crime Reduction web site puts the level of violent contact by offenders in burglaries at nearer 10% than the 1% cited by your correspondent.
I'd say that makes a useful case in favour of defensive arms in the home rather than against.
Tony Martin remains in jail because he refused to be a victim and still refuses to tow the Criminal Justice line by recognising that he should have meekly accepted whatever the outlaws chose to do to him or his property.
Tony Martin remains a political prisoner, put in jail by a system which zealously defends its monopoly on protecting the public despite its manifest failure to do so.