Training Risky
In this country, we don't have the death penalty. That may be controversial, and it may be undemocratic. From surveys it appears that opposition to the death penalty is more common in those with higher IQs, but that it may be a minority view.
It would, however, be likely that the death penalty would not enjoy majority support if imposed for petty burglary or house-breaking. Only the extreme right wing (and the terminally stupid) would support that.
In a civilised society, we let the criminal justice system determine guilt, decide on an appropriate punishment, and then administer that punishment. Anything else is vigilanteeism, and is (again) the province of the extreme right wing (or the terminally stupid).
You state that Tony Martin had been burgled before. That deserves sympathy, and entitled him to complain about the policing his rates were paying for, but did not entitle him to take the law into his own hands. Legally, it didn't entitle him to use even minimum force. It certainly didn't entitle him to make such a disproportionate response. The fact that the terrified youngster was clearly running away empty handed makes it clear that Mr Martin had no reasonable grounds to be 'in fear of his life' (nor even in fear of losing any property).
Steamchicken's point that "Barras was running off the property, empty handed, when he was slotted with several rounds to the back, from an illegal military firearm, FROM COVER!" is a good one. Martin was a pathetic, cowardly, dangerous loser who murdered an innocent child. And you think that's OK because the child was a thief?
"Why? Because to some people, money has a greater value than human life." Presumably.
Your comparison of this deranged immoral criminal with Lee Clegg is nonsensical. Clegg was doing a difficult and dangerous job. At the very, very worst, Clegg was a man under extreme stress whose judgement was arguably suspect. If he reads your post, I hope he comes around and explains his position to you personally, and I hope he lives up to every possible stereotype we civvies have of Para NCOs.
Your offensive, ignorant, arrogant and prejudiced comments about 'Gyppos' leads me to assume that you are an unintelligent, poorly-educated, bigoted, far right wing fool, so I'm not sure why I'm bothering to respond to you. If you were 'in the majority' in this, we'd have a National Front/British Movement Government.
Orac,
I'll bet you knew all the answers, except the pop music and soap opera qs. I know that I did.
Whittock was only selected as a helper for Ingram's second appearance, when it was clear who else would be in the studio. Whittock wasn't there to win it for the Galloping Major, just to assist him where he could. Moreover all of the FFF contenders were 'within coughing distance' of the Major, though as it happened, Whittock was one of the closest.
Though no charges were laid, it is apparent that there was a concern that during the first part of the show, a relative was ringing outside the studio for answers, which were then being sent to pagers secreted on the Major's person. ALLEGEDLY.