78-Year-Old British Man Arrested For Fatally Stabbing Burglar

A British man, who was arrested Wednesday on the suspicion of stabbing a suspected burglar to death, received bail.

Richard Osborn-Brooks, 78, found two intruders inside his home in South Park, Hither Green, in London a little after midnight. One of the men, aged 38, was armed with a screwdriver, and forced Osborn-Brooks into his kitchen, while the accomplice went upstairs, the Telegraph reported.

In a statement Scotland Yard said: “At 00:45hrs on Wednesday, (7:45 p.m. EDT, Tuesday) 4 April, police were called by a homeowner to reports of a burglary in progress at an address in South Park Crescent, Hither Green SE6, and a man injured [sic]. … The 78-year-old resident found two males inside the address. A struggle ensued between one of the males and the homeowner. The man, aged 37, sustained a stab wound to the upper body.”

The detectives believe a fight broke out soon between “one of the males and the homeowner,” and the 38-year-old burglar ended up with deep stab wounds in his upper body. It has not been determined if the wounds were caused by the screwdriver the burglar was holding or another weapon.

London Ambulance Service arrived at the scene and found the burglar passed out on Further Green Road, near Osborn-Brooks’ house. He was rushed to a central London hospital where he died of his wounds in the early hours of Wednesday.

Authorities from Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command are still hunting for the second intruder, who fled from the scene before detectives arrived.

“I could hear people moaning in the street and just thought it was someone drunk. I saw the body laid in the street and another guy jump in a van and leave,” Gordon Williams, a neighbor, said. “I leaned over him and tried to reassure him. There was a lot of blood.”

Other neighbors have spoken up in Osborn-Brooks’ favor, saying he cannot be blamed for what transpired inside his home.

“A man should have the right and be able to defend their home… We have done good work on the watch including shutting down a brothel house and implementing metal gates to stop people walking down the alley ways. We're trying to make it safer,” Sylbourne Sydail, chairman of the local neighborhood watch group, said.

Clem Williams, 58, a martial arts instructor who has lived on the road for 20 years said: "My personal opinion is why were the men at his house? The man has a right to defend his home. They should let him go."

Osborn-Brooks, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries on his arms, was initially arrested on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm before being detained for possible murder. He was bailed following pending inquiries.

DCI Simon Harding said: “I would like to speak with anyone who has information regarding the outstanding suspect from the burglary, who is believed to be a white male; he may have told someone what happened at the address.

“It is possible that he fled the scene in a vehicle, possibly a white van, leaving the scene in the direction of Further Green Road. Did you see this vehicle? Do you know where it went after this? I ask anyone to contact our incident room as soon as possible,” he added, the Guardian reported.