Homeowner who killed burglar feared for his family: Businessman who stabbed intruder with his own knife knew wife and son were on their way home



Homeowner attacked burglar after he tried to force his way into his home
Wife and son arrived home to find intruder dying in street
Burglar's family leave floral tributes at the scene
Second suspect arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary

A wealthy family man was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday after allegedly stabbing a burglar to death with his own knife.

Businessman Vincent Cooke, 39, was relaxing when he heard a knock at the front door of his detached home.
When he answered he was confronted by two men, at least one armed with a knife, who threatened him and tried to force their way into the £350,000 house in the Cheshire stockbroker belt.

With his wife and young son due home any minute, Mr Cooke fought desperately to keep the men out. In the struggle burglar Raymond Jacob, 37, was stabbed with his own knife and fell to the ground fatally injured. The second intruder fled.

Minutes later Mr Cooke’s wife, Karen, 35, and 12-year-old son Anthony arrived and watched in horror as the raider lay dying.

The incident happened in Bramhall, which boasts millionaire footballers, soap stars and TV presenters as residents.

It is the third time in six months that intruders have been stabbed to death by homeowners. The killings come after the Government pledged to bring in legislation which clarified the law on self-defence in England.

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke promised that householders who used ‘whatever force necessary’ on intruders in their homes would not be committing a criminal offence.

Last night Mr Cooke, who runs a same day courier and logistics business, was being questioned by detectives while his stunned family were being comforted by relatives.

He and his wife drive luxury cars, a gold Maserati and a silver Range Rover both with personalised registration plates, and detectives will be investigating whether they were targeted by the raiders for their wealth.
They will also examine whether the two men were known to Mr Cooke or had done business with him.

But sources close to the case were adamant that Mr Cooke is an ‘upstanding family man who was protecting his property and fearful for his family’s safety’.

A police source said last night: ‘At this moment it looks as if Mr Cooke was confronted at the door of his home by two men, at least one of whom was believed to have been armed with a knife. Officers are examining the possibility that the dead man was stabbed with this knife.’

Mr Jacob’s family were too upset to comment but they left floral tributes at the scene referring to him as ‘Ray’ and ‘Uncle Raymondo’.

One read: ‘Love you son, going to miss you more than anything. You mean the world to me. Love you loads, Dad.’

A note from his mother said: ‘To my baby boy who will always be my baby boy. I will miss you but never stop loving you, Mum.’

Another said: ‘To my gorgeous man Raymond. You may be gone but you will always be with me in my heart for ever. Love, your Stephanie.’

Mr Cooke was relaxing at his four-bedroom home at around 7.50pm on Saturday when the two men knocked at his door.

When he opened it the raiders are understood to have pulled out at least one knife, threatened him and tried to force their way into the house.

A scuffle broke out and Raymond Jacob suffered a serious stab wound.

The second intruder is believed to have jumped into a white van and driven away at speed.

A 33-year-old man was arrested last night on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

Neighbour John Griffin, 65, said: ‘Vinnie runs a courier company, he does a lot of importing, I think he goes to China quite a lot.

‘If I came home and found some scally in my house I’d do whatever I could to defend myself and my family. I’m sure Vinnie was doing the same.’

James Hutton, 81, said: ‘He’s just defending his home. If someone came into my home, I’d defend my wife. Your home is your castle.’

Dave Thompson, 43, said: ‘I used to see his wife Karen walking their two labradors down the road, and I’d say hello. It’s a shock, it’s horrible to think that something like this could happen.

‘But I’d have probably done the same thing, you’d be in fear of your own life. People breaking into other people’s homes deserve everything they get.’ Chief Superintendent Tim Forber of Greater Manchester Police said: ‘We believe the dead man was one of two men who were attempting to carry out a burglary at the house.’

He said he could not comment on whether the other raider was injured during the burglary.

The right to defend one’s property against intruders or burglars came to prominence in 1999 when farmer Tony Martin shot dead 16-year-old Fred Barras at his Norfolk home.

Barras and accomplice Brendon Fearon had disturbed Martin in the middle of the night.

Martin was jailed for life at Norwich Crown Court in April 2000 for murder, but his sentence was reduced by the Appeal Court to five years for manslaughter and he was released in 2003.

Fearon, who was wounded in the leg, was jailed for three years for conspiracy to burgle.

In June this year Peter Flanagan, 59, escaped charges after he was arrested on suspicion of murder when an intruder was stabbed to death in his house in Salford.

In July grandfather Cecil Coley, 72, was freed without charges after he stabbed an armed raider to death when a gang smashed their way into his florist’s shop in Old Trafford, Manchester.