“Is thinking a person in your property is a burglar a lawful excuse for causing a wound? That is to say self-defence?”
“The question whether the degree of force used by D was reasonable in the circumstances is to be decided by reference to the circumstances as D believed them to be, and subsections (4) to (8) also apply in connection with deciding that question.” (Emphasis added)
“If D claims to have held a particular belief as regards the existence of any circumstances— (a) the reasonableness or otherwise of that belief is relevant to the question whether D genuinely held it; but (b) if it is determined that D did genuinely hold it, D is entitled to rely on it for the purposes of subsection (3), whether or not— (i) it was mistaken, or (ii) (if it was mistaken) the mistake was a reasonable one to have made.” (a) the reasonableness or otherwise of that belief is relevant to the question whether D genuinely held it; but (b) if it is determined that D did genuinely hold it, D is entitled to rely on it for the purposes of subsection (3), whether or not— (i) it was mistaken, or (ii) (if it was mistaken) the mistake was a reasonable one to have made.”
“In deciding the question mentioned in subsection (3) the following considerations are to be taken into account (so far as relevant in the circumstances of the case)— (a) ... (b) that evidence of a person's having only done what the person honestly and instinctively thought was necessary for a legitimate purpose constitutes strong evidence that only reasonable action was taken by that person for that purpose.” (a) ... (b) that evidence of a person's having only done what the person honestly and instinctively thought was necessary for a legitimate purpose constitutes strong evidence that only reasonable action was taken by that person for that purpose.”
“The defence case is that Mr Yaman had seen that the shutter doors were partially lifted. He immediately jumped to the conclusion that the premises had been burgled. He went to investigate, not suspecting that there would be anybody in the premises at that particular time. On entering, or attempting to enter, he was completely taken by surprise by the presence of three complete strangers, none of them wearing a uniform or anything of that sort, and one of whom, the gas fitter, had a metal implement in his hand. As an instinctive reaction he lashed out with his fist in the direction of the nearest of these men. If in fact he struck him what turned out to be a heavy blow to the face, that was an attempt variously he said to get out of the shop and protect himself, to get Mr Jones away from him, to protect his mother. That is what he said. He then said, “Well in fact I didn’t think about what Mr Jones was doing, what I did was just an instinctive reaction.”
“Your question is this, “Is thinking a person in your property is a burglar a lawful excuse for causing a wound? That is to say self defence?”
“Simply thinking a person in your property is a burglar is not a lawful excuse for causing a wound.”
“Is thinking a person in your property is a burglar a lawful excuse for causing a wound? That is to say self defence?”
“On the assumption that appellant honestly believed or may have believed that it was necessary to use force to defend himself in the circumstances as he believed them to be, namely and in particular finding three burglars in the family shop, would the jury inevitably have found that the force actually used was unreasonable if the jury had been properly directed?”
“Now prior to Mr Collins giving evidence, there has never been any suggestion that Mr and Mrs Yaman’s family have on earlier occasions during their tenancy of these premises failed to settle their account with British Gas. That has never been part of the evidence, and if it was going to be said, the prosecution would have had to have asked the permission of the Court to lead that evidence because it might be thought to put them in a bad light, and there are rules about evidence which tends to impugn the character of any witness. So, the fact that the defendants’ family may or may not have paid the gas bill on an earlier occasion has absolutely nothing to do with any of the issues that you have to determine, and I direct you to put that evidence from your minds when considering the case as a whole.”