Fatal Offences Flashcards
What is the definition of murder?
The unlawful killing of a person in being and under the Queen’s peace with malice aforethought, express or implied by law
What is the actus reus of murder?
The unlawful killing of a person in being and under the Queen’s peace
What must the killing be in murder?
Unlawful
When is the killing not unlawful?
When done in self defence or in the prevention of crime
What can cause the killing?
D’s act or omission
Who must D kill?
A person in being
What does the Attorney-General’s Reference case say for murder?
V must have a separate existence from the mother and have an independent circulation
What happened in the murder Attorney-General’s Reference Case?
D stabbed his pregnant girlfriend and the child was born alive but died as a result of the premature birth
Who isn’t classed as a person in being?
A person who is brain dead
What is the case example of when someone who was brain dead was killed?
Malcherek
What happened in Malcherek?
Doctors switched off V’s life support when there was no activity in her brain stem
What does under the Queen’s peace mean?
That the killing of an enemy in the course of war is not murder but killing a prisoner of war would be
What is the mens rea for murder?
Malice aforethough, express or implied by law
What is express malice aforethought?
D must intend to kill
What is implied malice aforethought?
D must intend to cause GBH
What is the case example of when D was guilty of murder eventhough they didn’t intend to kill?
Vickers
What happened in Vickers?
D hit V several times and kicked her in the head and she died
What is Thabo Melli V R an example of?
When D formed mens rea at some point during the transaction
What happened in Thabo Meli V R?
D attacked V and thought he was dead so he pushed him off a cliff where he died from exposure
What is voluntary manslaughter?
Where D kills V with malice aforethought, but the killing occurs due to loss of control or diminished responsibility
Where is loss of control set out?
S.54 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
What is the first element of loss of control?
D must have lost self-control and this caused the killing
What does the case Cocker say?
D must have lost self-control not just self-restraint
What happened in Cocker?
D suffocated his wife after her repeated pleas to ease her pain from her incurable disease
What doesn’t the loss of control immediately have to follow?
The qualifying trigger, there can be a delay between the qualifying trigger and the killing
What does S.54(4) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 day?
The defence is not available is D acted in a considered desire for revenge
What is the second element of loss of control?
D’s loss of self-control must have had a qualifying trigger
What does the case Ward say?
The loss of control must be due to D’s fear of serious violence from V against themself or another identified person
What happened in Ward?
V physically attacked D’s brother so D killed him
What does the case Zebedee say?
The loss of control must be due to things done or said which were extremely grave and caused D to have a justifiable sense of being seriously wronged
What happened in Zebedee?
D killed his elderly father who was senile and who whistles a tune repeatedly
What qualifying triggers are excluded by the S.55(6) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009?
- Things done or said which amount to sexual infidelity
- situations where D has encouraged either the fear of violence or the things done or said in order to have the excuse to use violence
What does the case Clinton say?
Sexual infidelity can be used to explain the context of other potential qualifying triggers
What happened in Clinton?
D was suffering from depression and killed his wife after she told him she was having an affair. She’s been taunting him about looking up suicide websites saying he’s not got the courage to commit suicide