Found not guilty, self defence, after cutting off a finger?

[king1]

Not sure what to make of this...  

Personally I don't see how the act of cutting off a finger could ever be self defence.  They clearly had the teenager under control after the beating they gave him.  Sure he deserved the beating after the repeated break ins and threats to stab, but chopping off his finger and getting away with it?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3005853...not-guilty

[Zurdo]

I probably would've done the same thing if it had happened me. But most likely I would've shot myself in the foot with the shotgun.

[Lilith7]

"Mann said it only took one punch by Shaun Burr to floor the large teenager the men were so afraid of.

But the Burrs did not stop there and kept punching.

Then, William Burr introduced the piece of wood as a weapon, which was not defensive behaviour, she said.

When the boy did put both his hands on his head and let go of the knife, neither William Burr or Shaun Burr stopped or grabbed it – they just kept hitting him."


Surely that's well beyond self defence - once he was on the floor, they only needed to restrain him & call the cops rather than continuing to beat him - & cutting off a finger was well out of order, there was absolutely no need for that.

[Oldfellah]

If you purposely cut off someones finger how the hell is that self defence?

[Olive]

To be clear, it was apparently the tip of the home invader's little finger that was cut off, not the entire finger; that still doesn't seem like self-defence, more like vigilante retribution.

[Lilith7]

I'm amazed that they've got away with it; surely there should have been rather more than a 'not guilty'. And you have to wonder how did William Burr also get away with assaulting a female & assaulting with intent to injure.

[joe 90]

Wasnt a finger just the tip . as he adfmitted in court . toe rag deserved more than that luckily jury were not swayed by handwringers saying the Burrs deserved to go to prison toerag should be done for atempepted murder but hes not so hell be free to do it again

[alpha111]

Blame the fourth Labour Government for the "Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989" that began this slide into chaos where many young people don't give a damn about what they do.
Remember poor Bruce Emery who was jailed for killing one of two taggers who put graffiti on his property. In todays USA he would receive a civic award.

[king1]

Blame the fourth Labour Government for the "Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989" that began this slide into chaos where many young people don't give a damn about what they do.
Remember poor Bruce Emery who was jailed for killing one of two taggers who put graffiti on his property. In todays USA he would receive a civic award.

It would seem to me the "Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989" was needed precisely because of people like Bruce Emery. Stabbing someone with a knife because they tagged your fence seems a bit harsh to me...
I've always thought the escalation in youth crime is (in part no doubt) due to the abnormal work hours/shifts these days, and both parents working to pay bills...

[Lilith7]

Blame the fourth Labour Government for the "Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989" that began this slide into chaos where many young people don't give a damn about what they do.
Remember poor Bruce Emery who was jailed for killing one of two taggers who put graffiti on his property. In todays USA he would receive a civic award.

Thankfully, we're not in the USA.  "Poor Bruce Emery" had a reaction which was well out of proportion  for a tagger.