Today's award goes to a burglar in Britain, who clearly suffered an attack of what my friend Massad Ayoob has called "a sudden and acute failure of the victim selection process".
A burglar who broke into a house and threatened a pensioner with a knife got more than he bargained for when the victim turned out to be a retired boxer who left him bruised and bleeding.
Frank Corti, 72, who served with the Royal Engineers in North Africa from 1956-58, dodged the knife and punched Gregory McCalium, 23, twice in the face, giving him a black eye and a swollen lip. He then restrained the attacker until police arrived.
McCalium, a barman, was given a four-and-a-half year prison sentence at Oxford Crown Court on Monday for aggravated burglary and was told by the judge he had "got what he deserved".
There's more at the link.
A 23-year-old punk whupped by a 72-year-old pensioner? That's enough to give me a warm fuzzy feeling all day!
Peter
Of course, that day was in 2009, but it's still a great story. I like it when karma-wheels are on high RPM.
ReplyDeleteI love the look on the pensioner's face. "What? You want some too?"
ReplyDeleteThat is outstanding! Looks like the guy still packs a heck of a wallop for 72.
ReplyDeleteHeh, never judge an old man by his looks... :-)
ReplyDelete(Sniff...sniff) I love a story with a happy ending (sniff)
ReplyDeleteNever pit youth and aggression against old age and treachery. This has made my day. It has also made me wish I was a retired boxer.
ReplyDeleteExcellent!. Sadly, were this to happen in Australia today, the pensioner would be charged, pending the outcome of an investigation into whether undue or excessive force' was used, considering the abilities of the 'victim', -YEP, I said it clearly, VICTIM. The perp would very quickly be accorded legal aid at taxpayer's expense, the pensioner would have to pay for his own defense, given that he has an income, however small it be.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the name of the burglar may well be suppressed, 'pending legal advice', but the house owner's details would be freely divulged.
Need I go-on?.
Stuart - have to agree with you there, and given that this happened in the UK I'm more than surprised that the outcome was so positive.
ReplyDeleteStuart,
ReplyDeleteSame thing would happen in the ROI (Ireland). The garda would cuff the pensioner and drag him off to the barracks whilst ruching the poor young victim to hospital.
A "boxer" whether retired or not has his fists designated as "weapons" and therefore he should have run out of his house rather than assault a perfectly innocent intruder!
Irish logic befuddles the minds of adults!