>>513785651
legally speaking as it pertains to the law regarding UK home defence...
you pick up the first purely decorative medieval weapon you see lying about your home—in a panic, without any premeditation or forethought, of course—and you bring to bear only the EXACT amount of force you feel was necessary and proportionate (i.e. if he has a weapon, you can use a weapon) to defend yourself, or your family members, or anybody else
you do not have to wait to be attacked
as a true example, an older woman was cleaning her crossbow, when some yobs broke their way into her house—she shot one, and they died, and she wasn't charged
the crucial point as far as the law is concerned is that she didn't PLAN on using the crossbow, and luckily enough just-so-happened to be cleaning it at the time of the break-in
having a good lawyer always helps