Ravenwood - 05/27/04 06:15 AM
One of our readers, Pasty, points out that gun control is having the usual results in the United Kingdom. A man went on a bit of a rampage, after his pet was dog-napped by the RSPCA. Authorities seized his animal, after they unilaterally decided that his planned method of euthanasia (a pickax) was too inhumane and inexpensive and was best left to professionals. Desperate to get the animal back, dog owner Paul Lovie did something stupid.
The court heard how Lovie had armed himself with a samurai sword, air rifle and pellets, lighter fluid and a hammer before breaking into the Landing Lane shelter in York.Is "intent to cause fear" really a crime? I hope not, because I'm sure there are plenty of bed-wetting liberals out there afraid of my gun-toting ass.Prosecutor Dianne Campbell said: "He decided he would take matters into his own hands and go and get the dog." [...]
He gave himself up after one and a half hours of negotiations with armed police. [Ed. Note: Britain actually has unarmed police]
He appeared for sentence after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence, having an offensive weapon, and causing criminal damage.
While I don't condone what Lovie did, I cannot help but think the Brits brought this on themselves. Here is a man who was told his dog was ill and needed to be euthanized. Personally, I would probably use a 12-gauge, but the U.K.'s draconian gun control laws make that very difficult. A pickax seems to be the next best cheapest alternative. That the government would step in and put a stop to it smacks of tyranny (something not exactly strange to the U.K.). Ironically, those same draconian policies led to a society that could be held hostage by a pellet gun, something they insist on mistakenly calling a firearm.
Category: Dumb Criminals
Comments (3) top link me
Yes indeed! Carrying a weapon with intent to cause fear is a crime in England. And airguns are considered firearms there, too. It's an anti-social act, you know.
You know socialists. Words mean what they want them to mean, and the meaning can change without warning.
Posted by: Kevin Baker at May 27, 2004 9:10 AM1. In the report I read, it was described as a 'cut down rifle' no mention of air.
2. A Katana (Samurai sword) has a 3 foot blade and will quite easily take your arm, leg or head off. I used to do Kendo, and speak whereof I know.
3. The RSPCA - not a branch of government by the way - will put down an animal free of charge if it is suffering. If you have a sword, why use a pickax?
4. Yes Kevin, threatening to kill people whilst carrying the means to do it is, oddly enough, a crime here.
5. Yes, this has been, and will be, blown out of all proportion by a bunch of lefty dickweeds, but this guy is a total arsehole, not some sort of wronged citizen.
6. Please note that this clown is still alive despite the police being armed, and contrary to belief, about one in five of our regular police are routinrly armed, or at least have access to firearms.
7. The dog died anyway, so is that a win win situation?
Robert,
1. This report clearly identifies it as an air rifle, not a firearm.
2. I realize that swords can be dangerous. Then again, so can bricks, bottles, rocks, or pretty much anything that can be wielded. But when someone brings a sword to a gunfight, my money's on the guys with the guns.
3. I doubt the RSPCA is really free. It may be "free" in that they solicit (or more likely seize) money from other citizens to pay for the services they provide.
4. I'm not so much questioning Lovie's threats as I am questioning the letter of the law. Threats usually are, and should remain, a criminal act. But they refer to the charge as "possession of a weapon with intent to cause fear". Given that the mere possession of a weapon is usually enough to cause fear among bed wetting liberals, I could see this being applied when no threats are made at all.
5. Seizing someone's dog is a harm. That he's also an asshole is just happenstance.
6. In America, 5 in 5 policemen are armed, and probably about 1 in 5 citizens.
7. no comment.
Posted by: Ravenwood at May 27, 2004 3:41 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
