Reclusive pensioner did 'nothing more than was necessary' when he shot dead a burglar, prosecutors rule

A pensioner, who shot dead a burglar inside his secluded home, has avoided prosecution for killing the man, after it was deemed he acted in self defence and did “nothing more than was necessary”.

Reuben Gregory, 72, was arrested on suspicion of murder after he blasted the intruder in the chest with a double barrelled shotgun, at a caravan he shared with his elderly sister,

Kathleen, in Colnbrook, close to Heathrow Airport.

Wayne Digby, 48, died at the scene, while his accomplice, Anthony Hearn, was also injured.

But prosecutors decided to only charge Gregory with one count of possessing a shotgun without a certificate, after concluding that in opening fire "he did nothing more than was necessary to protect himself and his sister from intruders".

Gregory admitted the single offence and was jailed for 10 months.

Reading Crown Court heard how Gregory and his sister had lived a frugal existence at the remote caravan since the 1960s, with no mains electricity, no water supply and no access to a telephone.

They were already nervous about security after they were targeted by burglars previously.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/11/reclusive-pensioner-did-nothing-necessary-shot-dead-burglar/

he's lucky, he could have got 5 years

Who lives in a caravan, like that, with their sister for that many years?
It seems a bit odd.

Every case of "self defence" obviously has to be looked at on its individual merits...

Just down here, last week a man was jailed for manslaughter "through excessive self defence", after a drug deal gone wrong..

When he was attacked, he picked up a hammer and bludgeoned his assailant to death --  even though he had incapacitated his attacker with the first hammer blow to his head, he then hit him at least twice more --  purely 'out of anger'.