MANY people will sympathise with Jon Pritchett, who shot at two burglars who were breaking into his wine warehouse.

Mr Pritchett has been found not guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous harm, but he is now saying he should not have been prosecuted at all.

We disagree. When someone has taken the law into his own hands, the Crown Prosecution is right to decide it is a matter for a jury.

It might have been better if Mr Pritchett had alerted the police once he realised intruders were breaking into his warehouse. After all, he was not confronted by burglars who had broken into his home and threatened him.

But the fact is that these days people are not convinced that thieves who are arrested, charged and found guilty in court, will be properly punished.

Victims of burglaries, not surprisingly, think criminals should go straight to jail. Instead, too often it seems, criminals are given second and third chances and are allowed to laugh at the law.

Until stiffer sentences are imposed, increasing numbers of law-abiding people are going to administer their own rough justice. We do not condone that, but we understand it.

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