Criminal Law Flashcards
Common Assault Act
s39 Criminal Justice Act 1988
R v Nelson
Assault requirements - “for the d to have done something of a physical kind which causes someone else to apprehend that they are about to be struck”
AR of Assault
Cause V to apprehend immediate unlawful violence
MR of Assault
Intention or recklessness for AR
Lamb v DPP
No apprehension = no assault
Smith v Working Police
Threat of assault can be immediate even through a closed window
Tuberville v Savage
Words can negate an assault
R v Ireland
Silent phone calls can be assault
R v Constanza
Written words can be assault
AR of Battery
Application of unlawful physical force
MR of Battery
Intention or recklessness for AR
DPP v K
An indirect act can amount to a battery
R v Thomas
Touching clothes can amount to battery
Collins v Wilcock
The slightest of touches can amount to battery
R v Venna
MR for battery “intentional or reckless application of unlawful physical force”
ABH Act
s47 Offences Against the Person Act 1861
AR of ABH
Assault or battery which causes ABH
MR of ABH
The MR for assault or battery
Miller 1954
Definition of ABH - “any hurt or injury calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the V”
T v DPP
Loss of consciousness can amount to ABH
DPP v Smith
Cutting hair can amount to ABH if it is a substantial amount.
Chan Fook
Fear or panic is not enough for ABH
R v Savage
MR for ABH does not need to be demonstrative of the harm caused
GBH Act and Sections
s20 and s18 Offences Against the Person Act 1861
s20 GBH definition
“unlawfully and maliciously wound or inflict GBH on any other person, either with or without a weapon or instrument”
AR of s20 GBH
unlawfully wound or inflict GBH
MR of s20 GBH
Intention to cause harm or recklessness as to whether the harm would occur or not
JC v Eisenhower
Rupturing a blood vessel is not enough for s20
Wood 1830
Broken bones are not enough for GBH if there is no break in the skin
Saunders
GBH only needs to be serious harm
Bollom
The severity of injuries should be assessed according to V age and health (GBH)
Burstow
Serious psychiatric injury can amount to GBH
R v Dica
Biological harm can amount to GBH, eg. HIV
Cunningham
GBH does not require ill will towards V
Parmenter
No need to foresee the level of injury caused, but should be aware of the risk of some harm
AR of s18 GBH
Unlawfully wound or inflict GBH
MR of s18 GBH
Intention to do some GBH, resist or prevent the unlawful apprehension or detainer of any person (recklessness is not enough)
R v Taylor
Intent to wound is not enough for s18 GBH
Morrison
D intended or realised some risk of harm and took that risk
Moloney
The foresight of consequences is not intention
Nedrick
Harm caused needs to be a virtual certainty and the D realised this
Definition of Murder
“the unlawful killing of a reasonable creature in being under the Queen’s peace with malice aforethought, express or implied”
RE: A
Not unlawful if it is avoiding evil, the actions go no further than avoiding the evil and the evil caused is not disproportionate to the one avoided
R v Inglis
“mercy killing is murder”
R v Adams
“a doctor is entitled to relieve pain and suffering, even if such measures shorten life”
R v Cox
Has to actively bring about death
Malcherek and Steel
Injuries caused death as the medical treatment was normal
Airedale NHS Trust v Bland
Doctors should act in the best interest of the patient (stop feeding patient in a permanent vegetative state with unexpected recovery)
AG Ref No. 3
A foetus is not a reasonable creature in being
R v Clegg
A soldier acting under his duty can be guilty of murder if excessive force is used
R v Vickers
Intent to do GBH is enough for murder
Diminished Responsibility Cases
Voluntary manslaughter
Ahluwalia
Battered women’s syndrome
R v Martin
Paranoid personality disorder
R v Wood
Alcohol dependency disorder
R v Tandy
Alcoholism only considered if they cannot exercise any self control
Lloyd
Must not be a trivial impairment
Golds
Up to the jury to decide if they have a substantial impairment
Loss of Control Cases
Voluntary manslaughter
R v Jewell
Shot V at point-blank range
R v Ward
Fear of serious violence towards another person is a qualifying trigger
Zebedee
Grave character and justifiable sense of being seriously wronged
R v Hatter
The end of a relationship is not a qualifying trigger
R v Bowyer
V could say anything to get D to leave, no justifiable sense of being wronged
R v Dawes
Infidelity is not a qualifying trigger
R v Clinton
Infidelity can be considered with other qualifying triggers
Asmelash
D was intoxicated, this is not taken into account
Unlawful Act
Involuntary manslaughter
R v Franklin
A civil wrong is not an unlawful act
R v Lamb
no fear = no assault = no unlawful act
R v Lowe
The unlawful act cannot be an omission
R v Larkin
Doesn’t need to be aimed at the person, only has to be dangerous