ABH Flashcards
NFO
which act?
s.47 OAPA 1861
ABH definition under s.47
an assault or battery that causes actual bodily harm, with the intention or recklessness as to cause that common assault
Elements of ABH
- Common assault
- Occasioning
- ABH
- Common Assault
Act must have been an assult or battery
eg. R V misalti
eg. Colins V wilcoks
- Ocassioning
(causation)
Normal Causation rules apply
Factual
Legal
Intervening act (actus novus intervenes)
V’s own Act
Thin-skull
break in chain of causation
- ABH
the differentiation between common assualt and ABH is the injury that it causes;
“any hurt or injury that intervenes with the health or comfort of the V”
(R V Miller)
“actual” means more than trivial but less than serious
“bodily” is not limited to harm to skin, flesh and bones - Pshychiatric injury can be ABH
(R V Chanfook)
Loss of conciouness, even momentarily, held ABH
(T V DPP)
Physical pain isnt necessary - Cutting hair held ABH
(DPP V Smith)
Miller
any hurt or injury that interferes with the health or comfort of the v = ABH
Chanfook
Injury must be more tha trivial but less than serious for ABH
“bodily” isnt limited to flesh, skin and bones - Psychiatric injury ABH
T v DPP
Loss of conscience, even momentarily can be ABH
D and group chases down V who fell to the ground, was kicked, loosing conciousness
DPP V Smith
D had argument with gf, cut off her ponytail
- Cutting off substantial amount of hair without consent = ABH
MR of Battery
Same as the underlying offence
if the common assult was batter = intention or recklessness to cause the V to apprhend serious unlawful act
MEANS D DOESN’T NEED TO HAVE INTENTION OR RECKLESSNESS AS TO THE ABH ITSELF
R V roberts
R V savage
R V Roberts
Taking coat off, V feared sexual advances so jumped from car going 30mph, sustaing minor injuries
R V Savage
D threw beer over V’s head, nut glass slipped cutting V’s hand
(only intended assult/battery but injuries sufficient for ABH)