I was chatting to one of my best mates a while back...
I'm going to be best man at his wedding in April. Conversation had turned to my speech and I asked him if there were any jokes I needed to avoid, like if any of his family had things they were touchy about. I mentioned as an example a joke about helping him hide a dead body, "for instance" I did have a joke in mind about getting to know my mate really well after I helped him hide a body).

"Well" he replied, "My dad did murder someone"

*face goes slack in astonishment*

I've met his dad, and he's a nice old guy, quietly spoken, polite... turns out years and years ago he killed his wife's ex in self-defence. This is before the days of "reasonable force" and apparently he did time for it.

I'm probably not going to make that joke, to be honest
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Thu 22 Dec 2011, 15:36, 6 replies)

is your friend's dad blaireau69?

( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Thu 22 Dec 2011, 15:44, closed)

I don't think so...
But I'm never too sure about these things...
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Thu 22 Dec 2011, 18:02, closed)

;)

( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Thu 22 Dec 2011, 18:12, closed)

ha.

( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Fri 23 Dec 2011, 10:45, closed)

Self Defence
In my living memory (a long time) and training, self defence in English law has always been a defence to any assault charge, including murder, as long as the force used during the defence was reasonable and proportionate (as you state) to the attack by the deceased. But if this defence is believed, the accused will be found not guilty, and therefore cannot "do time", so I don't understand what happened in this case.
Length? Life Imprisonment for murder.
(Classic Ray, Fri 23 Dec 2011, 22:34, closed)

They may have got him under Manslaughter
It would probably have been much harder to defend against a manslaughter charge on the grounds of self defence than a murder charge (on the grounds that that charge already implies lack of intent), so he would still have served time if convicted.
( MatJ LOOK, Sat 24 Dec 2011, 0:38, closed)