A FATHER who stabbed a crazed burglar to death in his home was yesterday told by a coroner he was rightly “entitled” to defend his family with violence.
All jokes aside, wouldn't you protect your family even if you risked facing life in prison or even the death penalty?
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| Vincent Cooke stabbed an armed burglar at his home in Stockport |
Businessman Vincent Cooke, 41, was arrested on suspicion of murder after police found career criminal Raymond Jacob, 37, dead at his four-bed home.
During the raid, Jacob and an accomplice held a knife to the throat of a terrified Mr Cooke saying: “We will ******* slit your throat. Get your money, get your jewellery – we will kill you.”
But when his wife Karen, 36, and son Anthony, 14, returned to the home in Bramhall, Greater Manchester, Mr Cooke leapt to defend them.
Grabbing a kitchen knife he stabbed drink and drug-fuelled Jacob in a violent tussle.
Mr Cooke was eventually told by police he would not be charged but his family have been forced to quit their home after nightmares about the tragedy.
Stockport coroner John Pollard agreed Mr Cooke used reasonable force.
Jacob’s accomplice Michael Thorpe, 34 – jailed for 10 years for aggravated burglary – was brought from jail to the hearing to give evidence.
Recording a narrative verdict the coroner said: “Vincent Cooke was terrified and inside his own home is entitled to use reasonable force to protect his family and property.
“He was fighting for his life. Mr Jacob had a considerable amount of drugs including alcohol in his system. The householder is entitled to use reasonable force to defend himself.”
The raid occurred in September 2011 when Mr Cooke, who had been at his £350,000 home watching TV, answered a knock at his front door from a man in a high visibility jacket claiming to be from the gas board – only for Jacob and Thorpe to burst in.
Mr Cooke, a former director of a UK courier firm, said: “The door flew backwards and two men rushed in. They both pulled out knives.”
After being threatened Mr Cooke went into the kitchen and saw his wife in the doorway which shocked Jacob.
Mr Cooke said: “He didn’t know what to do at first, then lunged at me with the knife. I grabbed a knife from the block in the kitchen and knocked him to the ground.
“I barged at him. We crashed into the hallway. It was a knife fight – who could stab each other first.
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| Armed radier Raymond Jacob was stabbed to death by Vincent Cooke |
"We went skidding into the hallway. He was stabbing with his knife and I with mine. It was horrible. I felt if I wasn’t quicker than him he would kill me.”
Jacob sustained a fatal wound to his thigh which severed a vital artery and he bled to death attempting to flee.
His blood had traces of alcohol, methadone, morphine, codeine, cocaine, diazepam, caffeine and nicotine. He had been on heroin.
Jacob had dozens of convictions for burglary, robbery and theft and served an 18-month prison sentence for assault.
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