Law boss defends intruder laws over case of Munir Hussain of High Wycombe (From This Is Local London)

Law boss defends intruder laws over case of Munir Hussain of High Wycombe

10:04am Tuesday 29th December 2009

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LAWS around tackling intruders should not be changed, the UK’s prosecutions boss has said, after the case of a High Wycombe man jailed for beating an attacker.

Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, said people were only taken to court where the use of force was ‘unreasonable’ and the law 'works very well'.

It comes as the controversy over the jailing of Desborough Park Road man Munir Hussain continues, two weeks after he and brother Tokeer were jailed.

A man broke into Munir's house and threatened to kill his family at knifepoint. The raider, Waled Salem, was overpowered by Munir, 52, and beaten in the street by him and Tokeer, 35 after he escaped.

He was unfit to plead because of a brain injury sustained in the attack, in a nearby front garden, and given a supervision order.

Munir was jailed for 30 months and his brother for 39 months because the attack amounted to ‘revenge’ and not justified self-defence, the judge said.

The news angered many and the Conservatives said the law should be changed so only ‘grossly disproportionate’ force is prosecuted.

Currently people can use reasonable force to defend themselves and not risk prosecution.

But Mr Starmer told the BBC: “There are many cases, some involving death, where no prosecutions are brought.

“We would only ever bring a prosecution where we thought that the degree of force was unreasonable in such a way that the jury would realistically convict.

“So these are very rare cases and history tells us that the current test works very well.”

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