[fish]

Judge bans compensation for yobs pelted by catapult vigilante

A man who fired a catapult at louts terrorising his home was yesterday backed by a judge.

Three teenagers had launched a bid for compensation but Judge Gareth Hawkesworth rejected their claims and said they had "brought this very much upon themselves".

pictured:Bruce Harwood catapult hero.

Bruce Harwood let rip after a gang of 15 louts targeted his luxury home in April. The 38-year-old had become tormented by louts urinating on his front door, hurling eggs at his windows, shouting and vandalising his gates.

The electrician from Chatteris, Cambs, fired several metal ball-bearings from a catapult - causing nasty swellings to the groins and legs of three of the louts. But the two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old youth, who cannot be named, demanded £1,200 each after Harwood pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm last month.

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Judge Hawkesworth told Harwood at Cambridge crown court yesterday: "You were subject to a lot of incidents of anti-social behaviour that were deliberate provocations by local youths. "You responded by taking a catapult and firing it. Such action easily could have caused serious harm. Your fault was in not notifying police.

"But I think it wholly inappropriate that I should make a compensation order given that they brought this very much upon themselves."

Harwood, who was sentenced to 150 hours' community service, said: "I was just trying to scare them away."

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/30/judge-bans-compensation-for-yobs-pelted-by-catapult-vigilante-115875-22596972/#ixzz110zT988N

listening to the BBC today theyre top lawyer recons he would have got off totally had he pleaded not guilty on the grounds that he and his neighbour were scared!

be a friend of the hero catapult man!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116200681752438#!/profile.php?id=1311075267&ref=search

 

[dragonmaster]

I agree with the hero his actions might have been a little extreme " should have contacted local authority's " but he was honest and willing to pay the price for his mistakes. I shy good job and give him a 8 as he aimed low and only meant to scare them away.

 

[BCLuxor]

[sup].22 air rifle pellets they make a nice whistle when they fly that would have sent them running hearing bits of lead whiz by their ears at 100's of fps.[/sup]

 

[Performance Catapults]

The facebook link you provide just takes me to my home facebook page, and I cannot find him. What is his facebok name? This way I can insert that name into the facebook search.

 

[JoergS]

Hear, hear.

 

[shot in the foot]

Fish why dont you send him one of your hunters, and you can put in your ad's, Bruce Harwood catapult hero shoots hunter catapults, ha ha , jeff

 

[dragonmaster]

Fish why dont you send him one of your hunters, and you can put in your ad's, Bruce Harwood catapult hero shoots hunter catapults, ha ha , jeff

Good one Chief.

 

[Mtnfolk Mike]

iteresting article... it's amazing to see how things are so different across the pond

i would have definitely done the same, if not something a litle more drastic... though my 95 pound growling dog should have been more than enough to scare them away..

on another note, i think this dude needs a "Fish" made catapult...

 

[Henry the Hermit]

I say 10 points extra for the groin shot.

 

[Gandolphin]

He is an idiot,
who fires metal balls on humans?
But I must say, good shots buddy

 

[fish]

The facebook link you provide just takes me to my home facebook page, and I cannot find him. What is his facebok name? This way I can insert that name into the facebook search.

just search Bruce Harwood on face book his profile pic is of him and his mrs.

i have offered him a hunter free of charge.

 

[harpersgrace]

He is an idiot,
who fires metal balls on humans?
But I must say, good shots buddy

Some humans deserve it more than animals, there are a few in my neighborhood that could use a groin shot...but I live in America the land of litigation, here they'd walk away with a million bucks whether I had it or not.

 

[Jaybird]

The punks were terrorizing him and his family and defacing his hard earned property.In my book he should have used a shotgun.Punks that prey on law abiding citizens should be taught a lesson.Three cheers for Bruce and the judge.If there parents don't teach them to respect other people and there property they will have to learn the hard way.

 

[USASlingshot]

The punks were terrorizing him and his family and defacing his hard earned property.In my book he should have used a shotgun.Punks that prey on law abiding citizens should be taught a lesson.Three cheers for Bruce and the judge.If there parents don't teach them to respect other people and there property they will have to learn the hard way.

I agree! If someone did that to my house no doubt I would shoot them with the closest thing. I wouldn't hesitate to take my slingshot and fire A few 3/8 steel at their head

 

[Performance Catapults]

The punks were terrorizing him and his family and defacing his hard earned property.In my book he should have used a shotgun.Punks that prey on law abiding citizens should be taught a lesson.Three cheers for Bruce and the judge.If there parents don't teach them to respect other people and there property they will have to learn the hard way.

Amen!

 

[Rayshot]

I agree with the hero his actions might have been a little extreme " should have contacted local authority's " but he was honest and willing to pay the price for his mistakes. I shy good job and give him a 8 as he aimed low and only meant to scare them away.

FUNNY! Glad to hear an account where the judge uses some common sense and authority and the trouble makers, can't turn their stupidity and recklessness around from something they deserve, punishment, into something else.

There is a Proverb that says; "Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily,
that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do bad." Eccl 8:11

 

[joseph_curwen]

in my opinion, the persons who have to be declared guilty are the parents, and should be punished for not taking their responsability with their children.

People now rely on shool and police to learn the rules of the society to young people, it is a huge mistake, and a pity.

Just my opinion, and hope my english is good enough to mean what i want to mean

 

[whipcrackdeadbunny]

A heart warming story.

 

[A+ Slingshots]

All I can say is maybe THEY should have turned the other cheek!!!!! Wait a minute..... er um... maybe that's the other way around..... Oh well ... I'm no saint..... I say SHOOT EM AGAIN!!!!!

 

[Dayhiker]

Just the fact that you (we) have kids running around doing these things is upsetting to me. What is this -- "A Clockwork Orange"?