I would love to.
1) A gun owner is most likely going to keep a pistol near his bed. Worst case scenario, it'll be in his room closeby. He will get to his gun before the burglar gets to him.
2) When confronted in an invasion not involving premeditated assault/murder, chances are great that, when confronted, a thief will leave. He won't stay and fight, especially not when a gun can enter the picture.
3) No gun owner is going to "dive" into some cabinet - doubly so when a burglar is between them. Logic dictates that the homeowner runs away or says to take his stuff and not hurt him.
4) In a situation he cannot control, a burglar only needs to run and get out of the house before an owner goes and track down his gun and pursues, should he be dumb enough to do so. Once he's out of the place, he's safe. You can only shoot to kill when there is reasonable expectation of your life being in danger. A man shot in the back outside of the home is murdered, not a victim of self- defense.
You're British. As much as property crime is rampant in the UK, you should be a touch more educated about this. No such luck, huh?