When self-defence goes horribly wrong…

The world was in shock last week upon hearing that Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius had been arrested on suspicion of murdering his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Whether the crime was premeditated or an accident, the jury is still out - but there’s a lesson to be learned for all of us from this tragic tale.

You don’t have to be a superstar athlete to feel under threat or at risk in your home. Unfortunately, burglaries and even tiger kidnappings do take place here in the UK, and it is not unusual for our security team to provide protection at home for high-profile executives and individuals in London and the Home Counties.

In the case of Oscar Pistorius, having previously received death threats and living in a country where an average of fifty people are murdered each day*, he was understandably paranoid about his safety. However, it was the athlete’s decision to take the matter into his own hands that has in fact ruined his life.

The defence claims that it was upon seeing an open window that Pistorius shot what he believed was an intruder, whilst (he says) protecting himself and his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria.  Yet with an income in the millions, we’re surprised that he hadn’t employed the services of a security team, who could not only have provided surveillance at his property, but also been there within minutes to confront any intruder, if indeed there was one.

This isn’t a unique tale, alas – even on our own turf this kind of incident isn’t unheard of: We all remember Tony Martin, the farmer who shot and killed a trespasser, and there are a wealth of stories of those who have acted in self-defence and as a result, endured length prison sentences. Scary prospect isn’t it – what would you do? Hopefully, you would have called us already!

Our close protection security covers all bases: from a bodyguard service and patrol service to 24/7 residential security on both short-term and long term contracts. So, whether you want your property checked whilst you’re on holiday, or a close eye kept on your family whilst you are away on business, we can provide a great value service which gives complete peace of mind.

It might also take the weight of responsibility off your own shoulders if something does go wrong – as you’ll have a team of professionals on hand to firstly deter any unwelcome visitors, but also to handle any situation which might arise.