Non-Fatal Offences Flashcards
What are the Five Non-Fatal Offences?
Assault. Battery. Assault Occasioning ABH. Wounding or GBH. Wounding or GBH with Intent.
Where are Non-Fatal Offences defined?
Under Offences Against the Persons Act (1861) (OAPA).
Is Assault defined under common law or statue law?
Common Law.
What is the Actus Reus of Assault?
Any Act where D causes V to apprehend the immediate application of unlawful force.
What are three examples of the Actus Reus to Assault?
Raising fists.
Throwing stones at V and missing.
Making a threat.
What four cases are associated with Assault?
Smith v Chief Superintendent of Woking Polie Station (1983)
R v Constanza (1997)
R v Ireland (1997)
Tuberville v Savage (1669)
- What rules are associated with Assault?
- Apprehend does not mean fear. D doesn’t have to be scared.
- Threat must be immediate.
- Words can be an assault.
- Words might also negate an assault.
What happened in Smith v Chief Superintendent of Woking Police Station (1983)?
D stood in V’s garden at 11pm watching her get changed.
What is the legal principle in Smith v Chief Superintendent of Woking Police Station (1983)?
D argued no immediacy of threat, but as far as she was cornered the threat was immediate.
What is the legal principle in R v Constanza (1997)?
HoL said it’s sufficient for prosecution to prove apprehension of force at some time.
What was the legal principle in R v Ireland (1997)?
HoL ruled silent phone calls could be an assault.
What happened in Tuberville v Savage (1669)?
D put hand on sword and said “If it were not assize time I would not take such language from you”.
What is the legal principle in Tuberville v Savage (1669)?
Since he was saying he was not going to do anything because the court was in town there was no assault.
What is the Mens Rea of Assault?
D either intends to cause V to think they will inflict force or is reckless as to whether the victim will believe it. D must realise there is a risk the victim will believe it.
What is the Actus Reus of Battery?
D applies unlawful force to V. Can happen without an assault.
What are the rules associated with Battery?
Any unlawful physical contact can amount to Battery.
Force may be applied indirectly.
What four cases are associated with Battery?
R v Thomas (1985)
R v Marin (1881)
R v Haystead (2000)
Wilson v Pringle
What is the legal principle in R v Thomas (1985)?
Touching a woman’s skirt could be battery.
What happened in R v Martin (1881)?
D put iron bar against door of theatre, turned off lights and shouted fire.
What is the legal principle in R v Martin (1881)?
Convicted of GBH as some were seriously injured, put in the panic court said he had also committed battery though he’d not directly applied force to anyone.
What happened in R v Haystead (2000)?
D punched woman who was holding a baby. She dropped it.
What is the legal principle in R v Haystead (2000)?
Convicted of battery even though he’d not had direct contact with baby.
What is the legal principle in Wilson v Pringle?
Said application of force should be hostile.
What are three CPS examples of Battery?
Scratches.
Minor Bruising.
Black Eye.
What is the Mens Rea of Battery?
D intends or is reckless to the application of force.
What tier of sentence is ABH?
Triable either way.