Couple Arrested in UK for Pepperspraying Attacker

[KeithPA]

Pair with pepper spray sentenced Aug 10 2007

Chester Chronicle

A COUPLE found guilty of possessing and using pepper spray have escaped prison.

Though the offence carries a maximum 10-year sentence under the Firearms Act, its use for self-defence and widespread ignorance of the law saw them avoid jail.

Chester Magistrates Court was shown CCTV footage of the moment Neil Marchant, 29, used the noxious gas to fend off an attacker outside the Platinum Lounge in Ellesmere Port at 2.25am on April 29. The unknown victim was seen staggering in the road rubbing his eyes.

Marchant later handed the weapon to girlfriend Sally Arcari, 21, who denied knowing what it was - but even unwitting possession is illegal.

Trouble flared when Arcari, of Dorset Place, Newton, was accidently kicked in the stomach at the nightclub's entrance by a man involved in a brawl with security.

Marchant, of Fenwick Road, Great Sutton, followed the man outside to confront him. After being pushed, he reached into his pocket and squirted the spray in his eyes before walking away.

Arcari and Marchant were traced by police to a Shell service station in Ellesmere Port, where he was arrested.

Prosecuting, Sue Gibson said: 'Arcari asked a shop assistant 'do you think I will get arrested for having hold of this?'

'She asked for a taxi to be called and put it back into her top.'

The assistant alerted police when Arcari left and she was discovered outside Blacon Police Station at 4.20am, when she told officers she had thrown the cannister into nearby bushes.

Marchant was sold the cannister for £8 by a man in a pub after telling him he feared for his safety.

Defending, Paul Abraham said: 'He found himself - as many members of the public would - in a state of blind ignor ance.'

Marchant received a six-month suspended sentence and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work, while Arcari was given 80 hours of unpaid work.

The pair must pay £60 each in costs.

http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co...name_page.html

I'm not surprised, I know it's now illegal to have a knife on you in public, but pepper spray? That country really is going to hell, only a matter of time before the riots start.

[D-FENS]

You see the one where the homeowner was charged because a burglar broke into his house and was confronted, then jumped out the window?

I guess it's illegal to confront intruders in the UK...

He was taken into custody and had to bail himself out.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...burglar110.xml

The UK freaking blows. It's like a candy shop for criminals.

[TaePo]

At this point, if I were a UK citizen, I would begin to suspect my government is now on some type of criminal payroll. I hope we never fall into this state in America.

[Willtallica]

At this point, if I were a UK citizen, I would begin to suspect my government is now on some type of criminal payroll. I hope we never fall into this state in America.

You haven't been around, because it's worse. Even law enforcers get arrested here.

[Agent Smith]

I can't figure out why on earth pepper spray would, or should be illegal. That alone really shows that they don't care about citizens being able to protect themselves. What the hell are women supposed to do if they're attacked by a rapist? Wait for the police to save them? Haha. Come on.

[D-FENS]

I can't figure out why on earth pepper spray would, or should be illegal. That alone really shows that they don't care about citizens being able to protect themselves. What the hell are women supposed to do if they're attacked by a rapist? Wait for the police to save them? Haha. Come on.

Well, why are tasers and arguably, extendable batons illegal(not specifically but lots of people get charged). How about brass knuckles? All are great things for self-defense but you will go to jail for having them. I've said it before and will say it again, there should be no limit on what can be considered an "arm" and protected by the 2nd Amendment.

As for the USA being worse than the UK. I find that a tough nut to crack. I'll be the first to admit the US has it's problems but with 300 million people and by far the most widespread media in the world, our blunders are not only drilled into us through Yellow Journalism during "slow times" but also throughout the world.

That's why people outside of the US think we *all* carry guns and have shootings constantly; Their media cherry picks stories of the bizarre from our media and spread them around to reflect us as a rogue nation. There's a reason for this too. We've been cherry-picking the talent from every developed and semi-developed nation. Of course they want to instill a fear of the US in their citizens. That's a whole other story though. At any rate, we all know that very few Americans actually take their guns seriously. They say about 1/2 of households have them but that number shrinks to next to nothing in terms of people that have them "at the ready" in the event of a home invasion or otherwise.

I'll admit, I cherry-picked this story to make a point. That point being the UK sucks but I feel it's more relevant than what I said about the media/government in other nations because the UK has so few people people and such a centralized Government. Not to mention these "Homeowner arrested for stabbing burglar" stories are a dime a dozen in the UK and also sensationalized by their own media.

While we're on the road to being just like the UK (central Gov't, cameras, voice/facial recognition, etc) We're far from it. The land mass of this nation gives us all plenty of hiding spots...for now.

/Hopefully I haven't strayed too far off point.

[theshadow]

I wonder if the UK Citizens can get together and file some type of Suite for denying basic human rights (ergo the right to self-defense and self-preservation).

[brewguy]

since guns are illegal there I'm sure criminals were using pepper spray for robberies. It is probably better than a gun since it is quiet. Just walk up and give a good spray then take their wallets.

The CC tv on every corner bothers me.

[KeithPA]

since guns are illegal there I'm sure criminals were using pepper spray for robberies. It is probably better than a gun since it is quiet. Just walk up and give a good spray then take their wallets.

The CC tv on every corner bothers me.

Bingo. First they ban guns. Then they ban knives. Then they ban tasers. Then they ban pepper spray. It's the NYC/NJ/CA concept that if you ban everything it makes you safer some how.

People like to stand behind CCTV always saying "if your not doing anything wrong your fine." But as we see in Britian, when the government bans every available tool to defend oneself and you have to break a crazy law to defend yourself, CCTV will get you. It all depends on how abusive government laws are