Excessive force bollox

[Tas]

Why would anyone spend more than 5 minutes of public service time deciding whether this guy used excessive force or not. "a situation arises again, leave it to the police to handle" what a stupid thing to say. I can just see it now in the middle of 6 guys jumping on him, him putting his hand up in a little tee and sayings "hey ho lads, time out, lets just wait 40-60minutes for the police car to bother coming around to handle little conflict about you wanting to trash my house and beat me up"


Gatecrashers flee whip-wielding dad
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Matthew Benns
August 17, 2008


NEWS. Wahroonga Home Invasion.Wahroonga resident "They picked the wrong guy"...Dion Driman.

A MARAUDING gang of teenage gatecrashers got more than they bargained for when an angry householder used a whip to eject them from his 16-year-old son's party.

Dion Driman pulled out a South African sjambok when more than 30 youths attempted to storm into the party at the rear of his home at Wahroonga in Sydney's north.

Now he may face police charges for using excessive force to drive the youths from his home last Saturday night.

"I told them it was a private party and to clear off but this big youth put his face right into mine and said: 'make me'," said Mr Driman, 46.

The South African electrical contractor said he had "sensed trouble" when he saw the youths outside and had armed himself with a decorative sjambok from inside the house.

The gang split into two groups and entered the house at the front and side, kicking a screen door off its hinges in the process. Mr Driman, the only adult at his son's party, confronted the ringleader as he came around the side of the house.

"As I tackled him, six of them came over the top of me. I received a big hit to the side of my head," said Mr Driman. "It happened really quickly."

His son Brennan said: "There were six or seven really big, buff guys on top of my dad, hitting him. I had to try and pull him out."

As he got clear Mr Driman started using the sjambok - a 1.5metre plastic whip like the traditional rhino hide whips used by South African herdsmen.

"I am certainly not a hero. I just defended my property and my son's friends. There were a group of 15-year-old girls there too," said Mr Driman. "These guys were much bigger.

"People have had enough. This gang has been terrorising people whose kids are having parties for months now. Somebody needed to stand up to them."

Brennan added: "I know that if Dad had not stood up to them they would have completely trashed the house and stolen anything they could get their hands on."

None of the youths could be identified and so no charges were laid. Hornsby police were called to the incident and are understood to be considering whether the force Mr Driman used to protect his home was excessive.

NSW Police could not comment on the incident yesterday but a spokesman told the local paper Mr Driman had the right to defend himself - the question was whether he had used too much force.

"All I would suggest, if a situation arises again, leave it to the police to handle," he said.

Mr Driman remained unrepentant: "I would gladly do it again. They picked on the wrong guy," he said.

[T2K]

Unbelievably stupid to even consider "too much force" being used when dozens of people are invading your home. A 12 gauge and 3-4 of the intruders dead would not have been too much force.

"Castle Doctrine"

[Fat Bob]

Hmmm...if none of the intruders were identified, how can they be sure he used excessive force?

[Snaffled]

If someone forcibly enters the house, they lose all rights in my opinion.

[daffodil]

I suspect there will be no formal charges.

The Police simply have to fly the line about "leave it to us" in order not to be seen to be encouraging the guy.

[Tas]

of course there won't be charges. but I think saying leave it to us is unnecessary and silly thing to say, because anyone who has called to police to a neighbourhood situation will know that they don't arrive until long after they can do anything useful, just feeds the cynicism not alleviate it.

That said there was another good story about the police catching the guy on Oxford street last night who sexually assaulted a women in the restaurant toilets - that story was one to give any person the heebies. Out to dinner with friends in the middle of the city and you're not safe to use the restaurant bog....I hope they used a bit of excessive force when they caught up with the guy after running him down in the wee hours.

[Pinklepurr]

All the more reason to go in pairs (or more).

[Raffles]

I have always wondered about this one; if you have a right to defend yourself, then how? Should your only means be to use a household item or implement how can that be considered excessive and how and what is excessive in this instance? Nothing was excessive he just used whatever means was at his disposal, those yobs ought to be thankful it wasn't a loaded gun.

[Tas]

I have a hockey stick in my cupboard to this day, I haven't played hockey in 10yrs, but I can't quite bring myself to get rid of it, it has a lovely swing....

[Possum]

Poor guy as I am sure they will be back.

[Kooky]

I hadn't heard that toilet story before. It has crossed my mind in the past when I've had to walk miles to find a loo in a quiet shopping mall, as they always put them way back behind the shops, in the service areas.

Poss, you're probably right.

[daffodil]

And given his photo was plastered all over the newspapers too.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Tas, that's okay, I've got a Louisville Slugger sitting here in my office (two in fact - the Slugger is hickory while the other is aluminium). I've walked to the door once or twice with it in my hand. Sorta puts a different slant on conversations.

[Pinklepurr]

I hadn't heard that toilet story before. It has crossed my mind in the past when I've had to walk miles to find a loo in a quiet shopping mall, as they always put them way back behind the shops, in the service areas.

Poss, you're probably right.

Kooky, there are some very nasty stories about loos in shopping centres/malls back home, don't look them up you will never go again. I hate them too. At least here in Singapore they are almost always really busy, and there are people around, not so true in other places.


What is it with gate crashing nowadays? It is really prevalent all over, and really scary. The house behind us back home had a teenage party and it was going just fine until gate crashed at about 1130. Scared the living daylights out of me, and all surrounding houses ended up with bottles, cans and half the garden from the original house. Their house was trashed, and the kids whose party it was didn't even know the gatecrashers at all.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

That gate crashing is scary stuff. All the parties my brother and I had when mom and dad were away. I can't imagine how scary it would have been if something like that happened to us back then.

When I lived alone, I stowed a wooden meat tenderizer under my bed.

[Tas]

tenderizer, what a good idea, haven't got one in drawer at moment, will go hunting in the $2 when I get home.

[Kooky]

Kooky, there are some very nasty stories about loos in shopping centres/malls back home, don't look them up you will never go again. I hate them too. At least here in Singapore they are almost always really busy, and there are people around, not so true in other places.

I remember thinking about it when I was in Marina Square mid-reno, PP. I wouldn't even go to a loo like that here.

Re. gatecrashing - don't advertise your party on Facebook.

[TheDancerOnYourGrave]

Get tazer gun ... and use it on the bollocks

[slinky]

Re. gatecrashing - don't advertise your party on Facebook.

Is that how this stuff happens? I was just going to ask how the gatecrashers know where to crash. People who had parties while their parents were away when I was in high school nearly always ended up with a much bigger crowd than they invited, but generally, all the extras went to the school or were at least known to someone at the party. (Didn't keep the houses from getting fairly well trashed though - main reason I never had a party)

[Tas]

my father would have used excess force on us if we had ever tried anything like having a party at our house without their knowing, I'm pretty sure we'd have ended up in hospital and on the street, not just sure but know it. We didn't have b'day parties after we'd turned 13 so no question of even a crashed effort.

[Kooky]

slinks, there have been news items about such parties. There was a thread a couple of weeks ago about one, although that was in a park it did get out of hand.

[slinky]

my father would have used excess force on us if we had ever tried anything like having a party at our house without their knowing, I'm pretty sure we'd have ended up in hospital and on the street, not just sure but know it.

OK, you're right, Tas, THAT'S the main, main reason I never had a party without their knowing

[slinky]

slinks, there have been news items about such parties. There was a thread a couple of weeks ago about one, although that was in a park it did get out of hand.

Yes, I guess I've seen stuff in the news about this kind of thing. But, seriously, how dumb do you have to be to 'advertise' your party on facebook complete with your address?? (I assume the address must be listed, otherwise how are these idiots finding the place?)

Another example of more stuff to figure out how to keep track of when the small slinkies get older

[Kooky]

There was no way I could have had a party without my mother's knowledge. She went out once to see my sister's nativity play when I was about 2, had a neighbour babysit, I fell and cut my chin, and I don't think she went out again until I left home.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

My mother will tell you that she loved it when my brother and I had a party because we'd be so consumed with guilt that by the time my parents got home Sunday night the house would be cleaner than when they left it.