From: "Graham Gartshore", [EMAIL PROTECTED] It serves you right judge tells burglar stabbed by victim A JUDGE yesterday backed a I householder who nearly killed an armed robber during a violent raid on his home. Career criminal Victor Hanchard, 40, was critically injured after terrified Andrew Achffleos stabbed him several times with his own knife in a desperate struggle. His counsel, pleading for leniency, said he had 'stared death in the face'. But Judge Stephen Robbins said he should receive no pity and jailed him for 14 years. The judge said: 'Violent criminals like you, who end up having the very weapon you were wielding turned on you by a householder who you were threatening, deserve no sympathy. You were the author of your own misfortune.' His comments will reignite the debate about the rights of householders to defend themselves. Norfolk farmer Tony Martin was jailed for life in April after he shot and killed a burglar but only two months later Worcestershire postmaster Richard Watkins escaped prosecution after he stabbed an intruder to death. Mr Achilleos, 46, who lost the use of two fingers in the fight, said last night: 'I wouldn't wish what we have been through on anyone. I regret the fact I've injured another human being but I was defending my wile and fighting for my life. 'Mr Martin's case was different, in that he shot someone in the back. But when I heard of what happened to him I did think, "There but for the grace of God go I".' The Old Bailey had heard a dramatic account of the robbery in July last year Businessman Mr Achilleos had just collected takings from one of his video stores when three attackers crashed through the front door of his home in Eltham, South�East London. One was Hatchard, a drug addict with convictions for burglary; robbery; firearms offences and assault going back to 1975. He was already on the run after absconding during a day release from the prison where he was serving a sentence for armed robbery. Mr Achilleos and his wife Danuta Kowalewski, 35, watched in terror as the raiders ransacked their five-bedroom property looking for valuables. The gang grew increasingly impatient as Mr Achilleos, his hands shaking, tried to open a safe in a bedroom wardrobe. He said: 'I was obviously very frightened and unless you do It properly it won't open.' One robber threatened to stab his wife, who was being held face down on the bed. 'He was saying, "If you don't hurry up we're going to do her, we're going to stick her".' Then the robber passed the knife to Hanchard, who was holding Mr Achilleos. He put it down, to try to open the safe himself, and Mr Achilleos seized his chance to fight back. He said: 'I just grabbed it. I lunged at him basically and tried to ward him off. He jumped up screaming, "He stabbed me, he stabbed me." I lunged at him, two, three, four times, I don't know.' The other two robbers, who have never been caught, fled with jewels worth L9,000, but the with fight with Hanchard continued. Mr. Achffleos said: "we were struggling and suddenly he had the knife in his hand. As I looked up I could see was the knife blade coming towards me and I was thinking: "I'm going to get stabbed." 'I grabbed the knife blade and with all my strength I snapped it.' The blade was still embedded in his hand when police arrived. Hanchard staggered out, leaving a trail of blood, but collapsed on a doorstep several streets away. He was so badly hurt that police could not interview him for seven months. Yesterday Hanchard, who claimed Mr Achilleos hired him to fake a robbery for an insurance swindle, showed no emotion as the jury unanimously convicted him of robbery and false Imprisonment. After the hearing Mrs Kowalewski said her husband had never been under threat of prosecution for the stabbing. She said: 'The police checked all the knives in the house and realised the robbers had brought their own., Graham Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
