when I fought back wi a pick axe handle just prior to getting mi head kicked in by a load of drunks.

Now come on Ste - just cos you know I've a thing for axe-wielding homicidal maniacs!

I suspect the police have been somewhat quoted out of context here to invent a story that doesn't really exist. There's absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a knife to defend yourself if you're actually being attacked. You can easily justify your actions in Court as self defence.

Picking up a knife and waving it about, while banging on the window and shouting at a bunch of teenagers in your garden however, could be construed as overly aggressive.

You don't know why they're in your garden. They might have broken down, seen lights on at your house and hoping that someone's up and about who might be able to help with jump leads or whatever. Rather than knock on the door, which would be rude and somewhat scary late at night, they're looking in through the window to make sure someone's actually awake.

Whilst it's very creepy to have someone peering in at your windows, you shouldn't automatically assume that they're "intruders" or that you're under attack from them.

Could even have been an attempt at humour to put the lady at her ease, as when you're shaken up by an experience, it helps to lighten the tension with a laugh...

When the police turned up after my burglary, one of them said "Dammit. No blood!"... I was a bit confused (and crying bucketloads at the time!) until he said with a grin "It'd make me feel a whole lot better if the little sod had cut himself on that window he broke" and got me laughing. A lighthearted remark that could very easily be twisted against him.
                                                                                                                                                                             

Wannabe I like ya style lol. Ya know where to call if ya ever move up NORFFF                                                                                                                                                                              

You cant threaten  people with a knife screaming through a closed window.
Get a gun, shoot them, cut them up and stick them in a hole in your neighbours garden.......... i think i watch to much tv horror

                                                                                                                                                                             

People ask me if I'd take my samurai katana to a burglar if I found them and the answer is always absolutely no.

I'd hate to see it covered in blood.                                                                                                                                                                             

its all in the wording during an interview with the rozzers......I shouted a warning at him officer he then attacked me in a flurry of blows I merely defended my self using minimum force necessery.... I struck out repeatedly and I felt in fear for my life and my family all the time he was telling me he was going to kill me..... its your word against theres or possibly even you and your girlfriend or friend who hit him over head with the only thing at hand the shovel as he was afraid not to do so would have ended with you being killed or seriously injured and there was no other choice....... he was deranged with anger I didn't know what else to do..............     PROVE IT DIFFERENT AAAAHHHEMMMMMmmmmmm honest guv'ner                                                                                                                                                                             

Your so right there johnny. And who is to say what was in ya head at the time ?? Your attitude towards the plod at the time also makes a big difference. If you are all agressive and riled up at them then you just get their backs up but if your helpful or glad they turned up (leave out the word eventually) then your on a better footing.

I think its quite hard to predict how you would react if someone was peeping through your window late at night.. to be honest if that was me.. i would imagine primitive instinctual brain would take over.. fight or flight... it would scare me half to death and i would wave whatever i had in my hands at the time... i dont think i would have time to consider what their intentions might be.  I have my daughter to protect and that protective mother instinct is incredibly strong... in other words.... dont mess!!                                                                                                                                                                                      

after many calls to be "rescued" by the police , i had the term reasonable force explained to me, i had been attacked for the third time by my ex husband, the term reasonable force is a big grey area, if you pick up a knife to defend yourself it will not be seen as self defense but ABH or worse, if you pick up a heavy implement and start swinging its totally different!! so after i was liftd off my feet and pounded into a wall !! the nearest object to hand was the iron !! and yes i used it and wouldnt hesitate to do so again, you can only take a beating so many times before you fight back.

oh ps to last post, its also ok to use a dining chair, a vase and the encyclopedia britanica.                                                                                                                                                                             

baseball bat sound good !!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Only if they accidentally fall on it ian......several dozen times.                                                                                                                                                                                

they would indeed "fall over it several times" should they be so daft as to break into Ians.... tut they are so clumsy                                                                                                                                                                              

I have plenty of vases, massive books and dining chairs....... hmmmm, just going to practise my throwing/swinging technique                                                                                                                                                                             

i would just have to appear in my  jimjams  ... would scare them out of 3 years of growth !!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

*Nut resurrects the pj drawer.....*   yep, enough to scare anyone  off !!!                                                                                                                                                                             

well as i am a basket weaving,crayon munching ninja they wouldn't stand a chance!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

the purple crayons are mine..................... nom nom nom                                                                                                                                                                             

if you could see the daft pics of me and my mad daughter in here one night  having a mad colouring in session...was  one of the funniest things i have seen !! and Nut all the purple ones are yours... i collect green ones!                                                                                                                                                                             

result !                                                                                                                                                                              

green ones  are healthier