GUN TRAINER FACES PRISON - Teenage thugs made Nolan's life a misery (UK)

Sunday Mail (UK) ^ | Lorna Hughes

[tarawa]

GUN TRAINER FACES PRISON
Teenage thugs made Nolan's life a misery

Lorna Hughes Exclusive

A TOP racehorse trainer is facing jail after being accused of firing a shotgun at teenagers who caused £90,000 of damage to his cottages.

Former jockey Donal Nolan was charged with twice firing the gun at a group of 14-year-olds after being driven to despair by malicious hooligans.

The schoolboys had repeatedly vandalised and set alight the isolated cottages that the Lanarkshire-based trainer had spent thousands renovating.

Last week, Nolan, 45, was cleared by a court of taking the law into his own hands and discharging the weapon at the youngsters.

But he was convicted of possessing a loaded gun without a proper licence.

Friends claim Nolan was only protecting his property after police consistently failed to track down the culprits.

But he now faces a possible jail term - with a maximum sentence of five years - when he is sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court next week.

Speaking from the Newmains stable he shares with partner Melanie last night, Nolan said: "This has been hanging over my head for over a year and now I am just pleased that it's almost over."

The ruddy-faced Irishman's ordeal began when he started renovating Branchal Cottages in nearby Cambusnethan.

Within days of the work being done, youngsters were setting fire to the property, smashing windows and stealing roof tiles.

Despite Nolan's repeated complaints to police, the vandalism continued with the cost of damage almost £90,000.

His local councillor David McKendrick said: "I used to be a police officer but they did nothing to help the man. They were useless. He was pushed to unbelievable lengths."

Lawyer Joe Beltrami said: "Mr Nolan did his level best to protect his property, as was his right, and made regular reports of the damage to police and his local councillor."

Nolan will be sentenced on July 8.

[George from New England]

We're gonna be reading about this more and more as the British crime rate keeps rising.

They get what they deserve.

[RISU]

NOTHING LIKE BUCKSHOT IN YOUR SHORTS TO GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

GUNS WORK.....

[Cachelot]

A tragedy. No casualties.

[keithtoo]

Really. Next time he should lower the barrel and lead the target a bit. Of course, if he lived in a civilized country he would have access to weapons with better range.

[white trash redneck]

The UK takes a very dim view of self-defense. They seem to punish the defender harder than they punish the perp.

[Paleo Conservative]

Under Brittish law, you have to use defense methods proprortional to the crime and methods used by the criminal. If young vigorous teenage criminals weilding knives break into the house of a seventy year-old, the home owener can't use a gun. If a 200 pound rapist attacks a petite woman with his bare hands, the victim is not allowed to defend herself with a weapon of any kind.

[lowbridge]

Under Brittish law, you have to use defense methods proprortional to the crime and methods used by the criminal. If young vigorous teenage criminals weilding knives break into the house of a seventy year-old, the home owener can't use a gun. If a 200 pound rapist attacks a petite woman with his bare hands, the victim is not allowed to defend herself with a weapon of any kind.

He should have vandalized their homes to the tune of £90,000 in damages, then they'd be even.

[lowbridge]

Belles bump

[Salgak]

Barracading the doors and setting THEIR cottages on fire sounds rather proportionate, don't you think ? After, of course, cutting the phone lines and turning on the cell-phone jammer.....

[Feiny]

He should have had a few attack dogs guarding the property...oh wait...they banned those also.

What happened to the punk kids and their parents? I am guessing nothing happened to them....after all, they are only children.

I would have set up traps around the property along with video cameras.

[taxcontrol]

Rocksalt works better - gotta' soak it out.

[blackie]

Stop the attacks on our God given Rights by the extreme wacko left-wing anti-gun-nazis' !!

The Right Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed !!

An Armed Citizen, Is A Safe Citizen !!

Guns Save Lives !!

No Guns, No Rights !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Molon Labe !!

[Drew68]

The ruddy-faced Irishman's

You left out drunk, dirty, belligerant and unkept. C'mon now, we wouldn't want to place him in too much of a good light. </sarcasm>

[Destructor]

I wonder how the oh-so-civilized Brits like their gun-free paradise now?

[Angelique]

This is not just British law. When I first moved to AZ a few years ago, a rancher on the border kept having his land looted and destroyed by illegals crossing the border. He threatened them finally with a shotgun, and he was arrested.