Grivious Bodily Harm S.20

Question 1

Grievous Bodily Harm

Answer 1

Malicious wounding or inflicting GBH - section 20 of the Offences against the person act
Wounding or GBH with intent - section 18 OAPA

Question 2

GBH s. 20

Answer 2

A triable-either-way offence carrying a maximum 5 year prison sentence.

Question 3

Types of GBH

Answer 3

S.20 - no intention, usually recklessness
S.18 - with intention, more serious

Question 4

Actus reus of s.20

Answer 4

• unlawfully
• wound
• inflict GBH
• on another person

Question 5

Malicious wounding

Answer 5

GBH must have a cut or break in the continuity of the whole skin. A cut of internal skin is sufficient but internal bleeding, where there is no cut of skin, is not sufficient.

Question 6

GBH Non- cases

Answer 6

Eisenhower - not GBH, the cut must be of whole skin, so a scratch is not considered a wound
Wood - a broken bone can only be GBH if it breaks skin