Attempted burglary Aghamore shooting

Fair play to him, good plan to shoot the van

Not a hope, guns will be down in Garda station now and never returned

should be returned with a community service medal.

That'll learn the van alright.

I'd say there is more to this, maybe not the first time that this person has been robbed or intimidated - as had happened to Saint Padraig Nally.

If it was a one off incident it is unwise for a licensed firearms owner to open fire at a van with people in it, even if they are scum. Different if you catch someone in your house and they don't run when confronted and/or have a weapon. It's a big step to point a gun at someone, you better be prepared to kill them and deal with the consequences of that.

Shot to the lower left side of the windscreen looks to be at 12 yards range approx.

If the hole in the bonnet is from a shotgun, it's at at two or three feet range.

Almost looks like it was done with a crowbar or buckrake tooth.

Too big a hole for a rifle, unless the shooter had a target slug loaded in the shotgun.

If he had a target slug, without a Restricted licence, he'll have some explaining to do.

Yes Rural Ireland is rife with crime at the moment and the Gardai either dont have the man power or just dont give a feck

It's absolute laughable the so call investigations they do.

My neighbor an elderly man in his 80s has his oil robbed 3 times, Gardai have done feck all and instead just went to the local criminal in the area to ask did they steal it and here's a shocking part, the criminal said "No"

These Criminals target rural ireland as it's an easy and farmers particularly are highly targeted but the only concern for these Criminals are guns.

Revolving doors on our courts and Garda stations now hours apart in rural Ireland have emboldened scumbags.

Agreed, the damage to the bonnet looks like a slug or very short range shotgun blast.

There's now another article on this in the Indo and it mentions two shots being discharged - yet there is a photo of the van with damage on the left hand side with what look like another three large holes

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/farmer-opens-fire-at-getaway-van-after-third-burglary-gang-raid-in-a-year/a1750340359.html

What's in the article

People are such dopes thinking choosing between FG and FF makes a difference. And when they get exasperated with them they blame the UK, EU, The Greens, Sinn Finn, The Church ... Basically we are a feckless nation that can't manage itself. We are simple targets for drug, alcohol, social media, debt addiction.

My local Garda station has reopened but it won't make a scrap of difference. We don't need Guards sitting in Garda stations. It's the same with the idea that daytime checkpoints are going to reduce road deaths.

FFirst time seeing a shotgun leave a square hole…

so he got the gun and hid, knowing someone would come to collect him

That’s the bit that will have him in trouble .Sitting waiting with your firearm will surely be classed as intent to harm and not self defence .

There you go.

Self defence includes defence of property.

Could cause a bit of trouble though, especially if one had time and opportunity to call the Guards.

Regardless, things become a bit different when a firearm is discharged

See what I had already added to the previous post regarding firearm.

My point was to the claim of 'waiting around for someone to come' rather than the use of a firearm. It could still be self defence even if you chose to be there when you could have gotten away if you were defending property. It would not be self defence if you choose to wait around knowingly waiting for some randomer to came out of a pub to give you a few smacks.

The Defence and the Dwelling Act will be your friend in the case it happens on or around your dwelling. That doesn't mean you can't get in trouble under other legislation or rules around firearms for example.

You were always allowed to defend your property. Albeit not unlimited. And there are different criteria for fatal vs. non-fatal acts of self defence. The latter comes under statute. The former does not.

Wan bullet, bang bang

It's an unfortunate outcome that they are most likely to shoot themselves, not an intruder

Maybe mistook the VW van for a fox - easily done, especially in the dark - I know as a jury member that would provide me with a lot of reasonable doubt

It takes someone defending their property to light a fire under the guards in this country.

Bet they would "have no car to send over" otherwise.

they both have headlights and doors and a windscreen 🤪

The Garda commissioner called this week for greater penalties for speeding- he neglected to mention that the Garda roads policing unit has been decimated by at least 40% over the last few years- maybe Gardai should get back out visible on the beat and do what they’re paid to do instead of sitting behind desks blowing into breathalysers to make up their targets - same principle here- blame and prosecute the property owner for protecting their property instead of out catching these pr1cks