Shudo
11th February 2010, 10:06
Maybe there is hope in the UK Justice system for self defense yet.
David Fullard was cleared of unlawful wounding despite leaving Michael Severs’ ear hanging from the side of his head.
Mr Fullard lashed out after Severs and a friend barged into his home and threatened to rape his wife, Susan Neal, kill his two children and burn down his house. Prosecutors claimed his actions were 'over the top' but the jury took just 50 minutes to clear him.
Samurai sword
The 46-year-old said: ‘I don’t relish what I did but I had to defend Sue and the kids.’
Severs, 22, and Michael Smith, 19, had been drinking vodka and smoking cannabis when they forced their way into Mr Fullard’s home in the East Yorkshire village of Wold View.
At first, they demanded £5 they claimed they were owed by Mr Fullard’s son.
Severs, who was said to have been armed with a spade and a knuckle duster, and Smith then demanded money from his wife. Mrs Neal, 53, told Hull Crown Court: ‘I thought he was going to hit me. They threatened to rape me, burn the house down, kill the kids and kill Dave.’
Her husband picked up the 200-year-old ornamental Samurai sword but said he only intended to use the flat side of the blade.
His barrister, Mark Bury, said if he was guilty ‘we may as well pack our bags and turn the lights out and leave the darkness to the criminals’.
Severs and Smith were yesterday given six-month suspended jail sentences and told to do 100 hours of community work.
The case comes weeks after Buckinghamshire businessman Munir Hussain was jailed for attacking a burglar with a baseball bat. He was given a suspended sentence after an appeal.
Picture of ear here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7207005/Father-cleared-after-chopping-off-intruders-ear-with-Samurai-sword.html
I would be interested to know a bit more about that 200 year old ornamental sword!
Sean Halpin
David Fullard was cleared of unlawful wounding despite leaving Michael Severs’ ear hanging from the side of his head.
Mr Fullard lashed out after Severs and a friend barged into his home and threatened to rape his wife, Susan Neal, kill his two children and burn down his house. Prosecutors claimed his actions were 'over the top' but the jury took just 50 minutes to clear him.
Samurai sword
The 46-year-old said: ‘I don’t relish what I did but I had to defend Sue and the kids.’
Severs, 22, and Michael Smith, 19, had been drinking vodka and smoking cannabis when they forced their way into Mr Fullard’s home in the East Yorkshire village of Wold View.
At first, they demanded £5 they claimed they were owed by Mr Fullard’s son.
Severs, who was said to have been armed with a spade and a knuckle duster, and Smith then demanded money from his wife. Mrs Neal, 53, told Hull Crown Court: ‘I thought he was going to hit me. They threatened to rape me, burn the house down, kill the kids and kill Dave.’
Her husband picked up the 200-year-old ornamental Samurai sword but said he only intended to use the flat side of the blade.
His barrister, Mark Bury, said if he was guilty ‘we may as well pack our bags and turn the lights out and leave the darkness to the criminals’.
Severs and Smith were yesterday given six-month suspended jail sentences and told to do 100 hours of community work.
The case comes weeks after Buckinghamshire businessman Munir Hussain was jailed for attacking a burglar with a baseball bat. He was given a suspended sentence after an appeal.
Picture of ear here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7207005/Father-cleared-after-chopping-off-intruders-ear-with-Samurai-sword.html
I would be interested to know a bit more about that 200 year old ornamental sword!
Sean Halpin