In the bounds of the law?

[Lozzer]

In reference to my thread the 'House Party' and what I described as a fight, would I be liable for GBH?

What essentially happened was two gentleman tracked my friend and I as we walked back to my home. They drove by as we stepped into my house and they suddenly stopped. I stayed in the house as my friend went to meet them. They commenced a fight in which the antagonist was thoroughly dealt with. The protagonist (my friend) came back inside, however the two gentleman followed him to my door.

I went onto my porch to find them at my front window. I aggressively, yet reasonably ask them to get off my property...they didn't even respond verbally. At that point my lodger burst out of the house with a studded belt wrapped around his fist. He attacked one the boys and punched him repeatedly until he was at his feet. He took it upon himself to ask him to leave as he punched the gentleman in the back of the head. The beaten gentleman's company began to walk towards my lodger, as if to attack him. At this point I burst out of my porch and delivered a punch to his face.

These people had came to my home looking for a fight, in doing so they committed an unforgivable transgression and ended up trespassing on my property. The force used to remove them was completely unreasonable, but I felt as if my privacy and the safety of my home, friend and myself were jeopardised .
The two boys walked away rather embarrassed, to make the situation worse they phoned repeatedly issuing threats of revenge. They promised to come back with more people and weapons.

Did my friend and I act in accordance with the law, or have we broken it?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Sounds like everyone involved broke the law. But if the police weren't called and nobody has any intention of doing so...

[klr]

As XC has said, all concerned were in breach of the law.

This will all end in tears (and a court case, and prison) if you're not careful.

[Lozzer]

As XC has said, all concerned were in breach of the law.

This will all end in tears (and a court case, and prison) if you're not careful.

Town life, eh?

I was informed by a little bird that both gentleman were heavily drugged up on ecstasy pills.

But what would you have done in such a situation? I couldn't possibly have pulled my lodger back, I had too few options. I could have called the police, but since the shows of masculinity, none of us were willing to back down. I told my mother about what happened, she isn't too happy. I probably should have taken the registration number of the car, but it was round a corner and out of view.

[Rum]

Defending yourself with 'disproportionate force' in the UK is an offence. That would be the key question here in terms of the rights and wrongs of it and the law. You seem to be saying you think you did use too much force. On the other hand 'threatening behaviour' is also and offence and it sounds as if that s certainly what the other guys were doing.

Both guilty probably. Best thing is for all concerned to let it blow over!

In the USA life would be simpler. You coulda shot the fucker.

[Lozzer]

Defending yourself with 'disproportionate force' in the UK is an offence. That would be the key question here in terms of the rights and wrongs of it and the law. You seem to be saying you think you did use too much force. On the other hand 'threatening behaviour' is also and offence and it sounds as if that s certainly what the other guys were doing.

Both guilty probably. Best thing is for all concerned to let it blow over!

In the USA life would be simpler. You coulda shot the fucker.

Yes, but what's a 'disproportionate' retribution when you've been offended and threatened in such a way? I didn't do much in terms of fighting, that was done by my lodger. Come to think about it, I feel quite bad in looking back at it. I'm a pacifist at the worst of times, but I found their presence and behaviour was far over the line.

On a different note, the trousers I had been wearing are completely drenched in mud. I have no recollection of ever making contact with the ground at all. There's a small hole in my trousers where my left knee was and the skin on my left knee has been pierced with something. Rather odd. After punching the gentleman in the face, there was a slight scuffle as he tried to push me off. The memory of it is incredibly blurry, I think I may have blacked out in hoping my friend would come to my aid. The multiple accounts of what I ended up doing seem to be quite conflicting, so I'm damn well fucking confused. I remember having my eyes closed in waiting for the guy to land a punch on me, but he never did. The other gentleman who was dealing with my lodger, never once struck a blow back either. I'm also told my friend was never hit either.

So it would seem, we're the only ones who did any damage at all



I hate violence.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I think you punching one guy once in order to defend your friend could be considered proportionate and justified. Your lodger's wrapping a belt around his hand immediately puts him in the 'disproportionate' camp.

I'd hope it all blows over.

[Lozzer]

I think you punching one guy once in order to defend your friend could be considered proportionate and justified. Your lodger's wrapping a belt around his hand immediately puts him in the 'disproportionate' camp.

I'd hope it all blows over.

I agree entirely, I wish he hadn't. The boy aspires to being as 'punk' as possible, subsequently he acts like a twat. Besides that, he embarrassed himself by using it. Its what's called 'acting like pussy'.

[Mallardz]

So it would seem, we're the only ones who did any damage at all

With this in mind don't show any more aggressive behaviour towards them and hope their threats were empty.
If they come back as threatened they will be the ones prosecuted. It seems unlikely they will get the law involved and if you came off unharmed then just hope you hear nothing more of it.