Gay couple save life of homophobe next door

[twitchy2.0]

Birmingham gay couple save life of man who abused them

Aug 2 2010 by Ben Goldby, Sunday Mercury



A MARRIED gay couple subjected to years of homophobic abuse by a neighbour saved his life during a deadly house fire.

Bryn and James Tudor made headlines in 2005 when they became the first homosexual couple to tie the knot in a civil partnership in Birmingham.
But they were later subjected to three years of abuse at their home in Shirley by their next door neighbour, Baljit Koonar.

Koonar, 29, was handed an 18 month supervision order when he appeared in court last week and was also ordered to pay £150 compensation to his victims.

Yet just weeks earlier he and his family were rescued from a terrifying blaze by the big-hearted couple he had abused.

James said: “I was sleeping when something woke me up at around 5am. I could taste smoke in the back of my mouth.

“I couldn’t see anything out of the front window, but when I went to the back there was smoke billowing out of next door and the family were on the roof.

“Baljit was on there with his wife, their two young kids and the children’s grandmother.

“I shouted to them to stay calm and rushed down into the back garden.”
One of the Tudors’ neighbours found a ladder and a rescue operation began.

James said: “We managed to get them down off the roof and brought them into our living room.

‘‘They were all shocked, the kids were scared.

“I got the children plenty of drinks of water and tried to keep them calm with some chocolate.”

The fire had ripped through the Koonars’ home just two days before Baljit was due in court on harassment charges against the Tudors.
“In the heat of the moment you just act,” James said.

“Our thoughts weren’t about him. We wanted to get the kids down as soon as we could. You don’t think about anything that person has done, it’s just about the value of human life.

‘‘The grandmother was very grateful and so was his wife. Baljit did also say thank you.’’

The family have now moved out of the gutted house until repairs are completed.

“Hopefully, if the family move back we can all get along,’’ said James.

‘‘Maybe becoming friends is a bit too strong, but we could be proper neighbours.”

Koonar had pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment. He was given an 18-month supervision order and told to pay £300 in costs and compensation.

“It’s fantastic,” said charity boss Bryn, who is a Lib Dem councillor for Shirley West.

“We had put up with his verbal abuse for years – it affects you every day.”

Bryn and James made history when they became the first same sex couple to have a Civil Parnership at Birmingham Registry Office. They moved into Amberley Road, Shirley, in 2007 and say the homophobic attacks began after just six months.

In 2008 a court hearing saw Baljit Koonar forced to sign a Good Neighbour Agreement, but this did not stop the abuse.

In a victim statement at the latest hearing, the couple said they had considered moving home – but “did not want to give in to the bully”.
Birmingham gay couple save life of man who abused them - Sunday Mercury

I wonder if this might give the guy pause to think.

[Honey]

I hope he can at least be civil to them now

[visitor42]

I bet he won't.

[Little Goon]

“Our thoughts weren’t about him. We wanted to get the kids down as soon as we could. You don’t think about anything that person has done, it’s just about the value of human life."

Well, here's a statement of an evolved and loving human being. The only thing he and his partner can do is set an example of how to be a good person for his dipshit neighbors to follow, and it looks like that's what they are doing, indeed! Good for them.

[cupcake]

Awesome story

[Ravenna]

I hope they had to perform mouth to mouth resuscitation on the father and that he now lives in terror of having caught teh ghey.

[Str8_uncut-jock]

^Odds are he is already ghey and is terrified of it....so he lashes out! Typical closet case, homophobic behavior.

[Grimmlok]

next time save the family.

let him burn.

[Mr. Authority]

Shit I'd be too scared to head inside a burning house. But good for them. The neighbor better kiss the ground they walk on (don't worry, dirt can't be gay ).

[Beeyotch]

next time save the family.

let him burn.

I'm a vindictive bitch, that's exactly what I would have done.

[MrsDark]

I was just gonna say... Sounds almost like if it weren't for the family (i.e. kids) they might have been tempted to let his bitch ass burn.

[McJag]

For the rest of his life he will be grateful. Hope he behaves now. They were the heros.

[BITTER]

next time save the family.

let him burn.

I'm a vindictive bitch, that's exactly what I would have done.

These ones.

[SuriCruise]

"You don’t think about anything that person has done, it’s just about the value of human life."

I wish more people thought like this. This story is really amazing. What great people, I hope there's a truckload of good karma heading their way. Hope that guy has learnt his lesson too.