Things have gotten even crappier since, as they now have bunches of Traveller families moved onto their street as part of a Traveller settlement program. They've been basically terrorizing the other people on the street, and a lot of pets are disappearing or turning up dead, killed by their uncontrolled "pets". Our friend had already lost a cat to them, and one of their dogs had their back broken, rendering her unable to be bred.
One night, she was downstairs cleaning the aquarium (she suffers chronic pain due to an injury). She heard the front door being kicked open and a guy with his face covered ran past the living room, down the hall and into where she keeps her small dogs (the breed Chihuahuas). She ran to the stairs in the hallway.
Of course, the first thing I thought when I heard the story was that her Glock would be upstairs at the bedside.
However, as Mr. Crim emerged from the kitchen clutching one of the dogs, she confronted him from the stairs, Glock in hand. Turns out she'd brought it downstairs with her (Yaaayy!

In order to escape, he'd have to make a dash for the door. With her on the stairs between him and escape, he was reluctant to try it. She quickly convinced him his health depended on not even thinking about it. She forced him to put the dog down, and instructed him to exit through the rear of the house. Only problem for him was they keep their large dogs out there. So she forced him to exit out the backdoor, where he got smothered and nipped by I think 3 dogs, then had to drag himself over the barbed wire on the back wall. She said they found blood on the barbs the next morning.
I'm telling you, thank Crikey they started issuing pistol licenses again in Ireland. Without that she'd have had to grab one of the long guns, and he'd be gone by then. Who knows what he'd have done to her if she'd not been armed. Hopefully he crapped himself and he'll not come back.

These are the kinds of reasons we need to ensure Obama does as little damage as possible to our rights here.