New story of the week here in Sydney concerns a female security guard who shot and killed a robber in a car park outside a pub. The woman was taking a bag full of money to the bank when a guy attacked her with brass knuckles, punching her in the head several times and fracturing her eye socket. During the fracas, he actually dropped the money and attempted to escape in a stolen car. The guard then took out her gun and fired into the car at close range, killing him. Opinion seems divided over what should happen to her; public opinion is that she's a hero, but legally she broke the law when she pursued and killed her attacker while he was trying to flee. Personally, I think anyone who punches a woman in the head with brass knuckles should get a bullet.

Secutiry guards are not police. They don't have powers of arrest. But they are allowed to have guns, so feasibly they're also allowed to use them if they think it necessary. However the issue here is whether the force used against the perpetrator was extreme and unnecessary. He was fleeing the scene without the cash, but she shot him anyway. At least he won't be able to bash and rob any more people now.

I'd say she was within her rights. He just beat the hell out of her with brass knuckles. And if it turns out he's a repeat offender, then she did the community a great service by getting rid of this scum.

She probably did society a favor by icing that mutterfogger.  Nice aim for someone who got belted in the head with brass knuckles!

OK, so she did break the law.  I don't know about Australia, but in American courts, a defendant in such circumstances may get a nominal sentence.  Maybe a year incarceration suspended, with two years probation.

If the perpetrator was armed to the teeth and hightaled it outta there recklessly in a stolent car, a jury might find her actions "justifiable homicide."  A maniac like that could easily kill other people on the lam.

There's been a string of killings like this over the past few years, mostly shopkeepers who killed armed robbers during heists. Most of them get suspended sentences or have no conviction recorded. The interesting thing is that the same day this happened, a police officer who shot and killed a bandit who was trying to run him down in a stolen car was cleared by the court of any wrongdoing. That he had to go to court at all is ludicrous.

It is real simple.

He was getting into that car and he told the security guard that he was going to run her down.

So it was self defense.  Works for me.  :-X

In my book, that woman should have pursued him and kill his a%%.  He's lucky she only shot him.  Some of us like to slice and dice too.  >:(

I saw her picture on the front page of todays paper and she looks absolutely shattered. It'll be interesting to see the outcome.

Yeah Manda she looked liked she had been thru the wringer.

She had a big decision to make and I am in the group of people that think she made the only one that could have been made in that situation.

I am in a quandry - its a Libran thing !  I never want Aus to get to the point where any idiot can own a gun (like the US) but at the same time I definately believe our cops and security people should be allowed to use them when necessary.

I am also a big fan of shooting criminals while they are in the midst of committing a crime as it saves my tax paying dollars having to pay for a court case and then for their food and board while they sit in those luxury hotels we like to call jails here. (or in Perths case - paying their Dole after they have recieved a slap on the wrist because the judge thinks they have had a crappy childhood and therefor its ok that they raped and robbed a 96 year old woman).

Powerslave - was that other case you mentioned in Sydney or Perth ?  We had a similar one here - cop shot a guy who was trying to run him down - but for the life of me I cant remember if he just injured him or shot him dead.  Ridiculous that the one you mentioned had to go to court.  He was doing his job - at best he should just have to fill out a report when he gets back to the office !

The 42-year-old Rooty Hill woman shot and killed William Aquilina moments after he attacked her with a knuckleduster and stole a bag of cash she was carrying out of the Moorebank Hotel.

The Elite Guard Force security officer's skull, an eye socket, nose and left hand were fractured and she suffered possible brain damage when the 25-year-old grabbed her hair, king hit her and repeatedly pounded her to the ground.


Man I only just read this in the SMH paper today - our papers here didnt give much of a description - just that she had been punched in the head.  The fact that she was actually capable of aiming a gun astounds me.  Now I am even gladder that she shot him.  I hope she gets an understanding judge.

All-

Darn the luck! If he were only doing that in the United States! His heirs could then sue her and make millions for his lost wages and get her to never have a job protecting society because she is an imminent threat!

(How do I know?...My frustration comes from when someone stole my car. If I had caught them and shot at them,they could sue me. If I came out and caught them and NOT have a weapon and THEY DID, I'd be pushing up daisies! Why am I carrying a weapon if THEY aren't posing a threat to me but to my property?- Us good guys always lose!)
:\'(

 

I had a freind who worked at a 7-11 and he chased a shoplifter and tackled him and held him until police arrived....7-11 fired him ::) Also, when my son's killer was on trial, the defense b*tch tried to say it was Blaine's fault for scaring the guy by trying to keep the frezzer door from shutting ::) As for this case...I can't believe they'd even consider charging her. He committed multiple crimes and she did her job. In my book she's a hero :)

I had a freind who worked at a 7-11 and he chased a shoplifter and tackled him and held him until police arrived....7-11 fired him ::)


I used to work for 7-11 and one of the first policies they tell you is you don't chase shoplifters or robbers.  They have that rule to keep the clerk safe.  Whatever it is they steal isn't worth the life of an employee or a customer.  You are just supposed to get a description and call the police. 

His heirs could then sue her and make millions for his lost wages and get her to never have a job protecting society because she is an imminent threat!



Gee (this is my sarcastic voice here) if only they could prove how much in "wages" the unemployed junkie lost while he was busy robbing and bashing female security guards.  I rekon he had potentional to earn oooh maybe $20 in the next 50 years !!!!

Today she has felt compelled to apologise to his family.  And naturally they are sh*tty because their precious son who never did no wrong has been killed.

This is something I have never understood.  These families that come forward and say "our child never did anone any harm".  Does it occur to them to take a look at what type of creature they are sticking up for ? 

My brother is an alchoholic who has lost his licence 3 times due to drunk driving and accidents.  I have NEVER felt the need to make excuses for him and blame the "poor childhood" etc.  Fact is he is an alcholic who chooses to drive cars and crash them.  He does this with the knowledge that one day he will kill himself or someone else.  As a blood relative I am not going to make excuses for that.

But these people, these PARENTS, who raised their offspring who became junkies and burglars and murderers, seem to be able to see thru all that and stick up for them and make excuses for them.

Sorry - no go.  I had the identical upbringing to my brother and I could not be more different.  I made life decisions and so did he.  I went one way, he went the other.  If I murdered someone tomorrow he certainly wouldnt go on TV and say "awww man she was such a sweet girl who wouldnt harm a fly".  he would do just what I would do - "Sorry - my sibling is their own person who made their own decisions - jail them".


OK rant over - sorry - was actually hit by a car today by a git who didnt speak english and it sh*ts me that they can pass a driving test and supposedly read road signs while they live and study here - yet when it comes to abusing a pedestrian who they hit because they were reversing up a one way street the wrong way and veered onto a footpath hitting innocent an pedestrian - ie me - hmmmm suddenly they speak no english. 

I was so flaming angry that I seriously wished I was the kind of person that could just walk up to a person and punch them in the face. (hehehe if I lived in the US I coulda just wipped out my 38 and shot him! and blamed it on pedestrian rage).

I rang the police while he was ranting at me and he actually pulled a knife.  How stupid is that - when I have just told you I am on the phone to the police !

Ahhhhhhhh what a day.

Gee BMG, that's pretty extreme. I hope he get busted big time for that.

This is something I have never understood.  These families that come forward and say "our child never did anone any harm".  Does it occur to them to take a look at what type of creature they are sticking up for ? 


I was so flaming angry that I seriously wished I was the kind of person that could just walk up to a person and punch them in the face. (hehehe if I lived in the US I coulda just wipped out my 38 and shot him! and blamed it on pedestrian rage).


Well, the Defense Attorney used the same B.S. in the trial of the idiot that murdered my son. She actually tried to convince the jury that it was my son's fault that he was shot >:( If I EVER see her....well, I guess I should take the high road).....besides it won't bring back Blaine. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about all that, BrianMannixGirl :-\\

Gee BMG, that's pretty extreme. I hope he get busted big time for that.


gawd I was so angry when I was typing that - i can see the steam coming off my words !!! 

I forgot to mention the bit where the cops said they were unable to attend and that I should continue walking home and they would do a circuit as soon as possible to see if he was still parked there !

Obviously if he proceeded to stab me - they would attend the scene !! 

I did actually yell at him that I was twice his pathetic size and my umbrella was 20 times bigger than his pathetic knife and he kinda gulped and got back in his car and locked it !

hahaha dont mess with an angry woman !!

of course he didnt see me shaking like hell when I got inside my home !!

Cops now have his licence plate number and the number of the bus that had to swerve out of his way so once they have spoken the the bus driver - ie another witness other than me - they "may" do something about it.

New story of the week here in Sydney concerns a female security guard who shot and killed a robber... legally she broke the law when she pursued and killed her attacker while he was trying to flee.


Listen to the law ::)

What he didn't know is that the owner had put in a "security system" that delivered jolts of electricity when tripped. 

OK I seriously LOVE the sound of this security system !!

Power - we havent had an update on WA news - has Karen Brown been officially charged yet ?

OK I seriously LOVE the sound of this security system !!

Power - we havent had an update on WA news - has Karen Brown been officially charged yet ?


I know this question wasn't directed at me but yes, BMGirl, she was formally charged with murder earlier this week.

Thanks Manda.  Our papers have been preoccupied with our white supremist idiot so I hadnt spotted anything on Karen for a few days.

So now we have to wait for the court case I guess ?  Surely "extenuating circumstances" would come into it - you would hope !

"a guy attacked her with brass knuckles, punching her in the head several times and fracturing her eye socket."

Assuming it makes the same difference down under that it does up here in the states, that's what her defense should focus on -- she'd JUST taken several severe blows to the head, her injuries were such that she was unable to tell right from wrong when she pulled the trigger.  That she actually hit anything when she fired, much less the perp,  is one for Ripley's not for a prison term.

After she's cleared, they should give her a medal. 

Some cab drivers in my area have guns in their cars.....about 20 years ago an Atlantic City cabbie named Raul Suarez was murdered in a robbery attempt...Suarez did not have a gun. They never have caught his killer.

Thanks Manda.  Our papers have been preoccupied with our white supremist idiot so I hadnt spotted anything on Karen for a few days.

So now we have to wait for the court case I guess ?  Surely "extenuating circumstances" would come into it - you would hope !


I have only just found this thread BMG, Powerslave, Mooey et al outside Aus...

I betcha anything though, the argument that will win out in the end is :

"She will be found guilty of murder, as she was not defending "herself" at the time he was shot.  Rather she sought him out and shot him"

It's interesting cos the thread was what SHOULD happen.  I'll wager it's somewhat different than what WILL happen.  :(

I betcha anything though, the argument that will win out in the end is :

"She will be found guilty of murder, as she was not defending "herself" at the time he was shot.  Rather she sought him out and shot him"



I think you're right there Fuss, sadly.  I was thinking same thing.

I think you're right there Fuss, sadly.  I was thinking same thing.



Only time will tell.  In the meantime she has one hell of a nervous wait.