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Nathaniel Armstrong

Age: 29

Sex: male

Date: 16 Mar 2019

Place: 1 Gowan Avenue, Fulham, London

Nathaniel Armstrong was stabbed at a property in Gowan Avenue, Fulham on 16 March 2019.

A 29-year-old man was charged with his murder, but the charges were later dropped after it was said that there was no prospect of a conviction because the man that stabbed him had been 'defending his home'.

Nathaniel Armstrong was stabbed in the chest and died from a ruptured heart.

The 29-year-old man was later arrested at Gatwick Airport and charged with Nathaniel Armstrong's murder.

CCTV evidence showed two men approach the property at 1 Gowan Avenue at 12.17am on 16 March after which Nathaniel Armstrong was found lying in the road with stab wounds to the chest.

Paramedics were called out but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The evidence stated that his death was due to hemoperricardium or bleeding around the heart due to stab wounds to the chest. Toxicology reports also suggested that he had been under the influence of cannabis when he died although it was noted that that didn't account for his death. The pathologist said, 'THC was detected in rations that would indicate recent cannabis use. He was therefore likely to be experiencing the effects of the drug at the time of the incident. Cannabis in the system did not account for his death'.

However, at his inquest, the Coroner returned a narrative verdict, stating, 'Nathaniel Armstrong was fatally stabbed by an identified assailant. But there is insufficient evidence to be sure of the justification or otherwise of the action taken by the assailant. Condolences to all of you. It has hardly given you more answers. It is one of those cases where you are not going to get the answers you wanted from the criminal prosecution or the coroners' process'.

The case highlighted the principle of 'Householder's Defence' which is based on the Criminal Damage Act 1971 and ruled on by the High Court in 2013, defining the circumstances in which force could be used in self-defence in the home. The guidance stated that the use of force was a defence in circumstances where the householder, when faced with an intruder, felt scared or believed they needed to protect themselves. The guidance stated that the householder was not expected to make 'fine judgements' over the level of force used in the heat of the moment, so long as they honestly and instinctively believed that they were acting in self-defence. The guidance added that the more extreme the circumstances and fear felt, that the more force a householder could lawfully use in self-defence.

The guidance also covered the use of disproportionate force, stating that in such cases that the householder would be given the benefit of the doubt. However, that excluded actions that were 'over the top' as well as actions that were considered to be carried out in revenge or retribution.

The guidance also noted that a householder did not have to wait to be attacked before defending themselves with force if they felt that they were at risk in their own home.

However, it noted that in circumstances where intruders were running away, the law would not offer a defence.

The guidance further noted that the defence was still valid in cases where the intruder died.

The Crown Prosecution guidance, made jointly with the National Police Chief's Council, and revised in 2018 concluded by noting that, 'It is a fact that very few householders have ever been prosecuted for actions resulting from the use of force against intruders'.


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