Non Fatal Offences Against The Person Flashcards
What is the AR assault?
Causing V to apprehend immediate and unlawful force.
Men’s Rea for assault?
Intention or recklessness as to the assault.
Where is assault in the law?
s39 CJA 1988
What is the Max punishment for assault?
12 months or £5000 fine
What 2 cases clear up Actus reus?
R v Constanza 1997 - written words satisfied AR for assault
R v Ireland 1997 - silent phone calls satisfied AR for assault
What happened in R v Lamb?
Unloaded gun is pointed a V so they no there’s no assault. Immediate does not mean instant but imminent.
What happened in Smith V Chief Superintendent of Woking Police Station?
D broke into a garden and looked through Vs ground floor bedroom window at 11pm. Even though D was outside so couldn’t attack V didn’t know he was going to do next so was scared. This satisfied the immediate.
Words indicating no violence may prevent an assault from occurring is what?
Negated assault
What is negated assault?
Words indicating no violence may prevent an assault from occurring
What is the case for negated assault?
Tuberville v Savage - D place his hand on his sword and said “if I were not assize the time, I would not take such language from you” = if it wasn’t Monday I would punch you. Held that words indicted no violence would occur.
What is the actus reus for Battery?
Application of unlawful force onto another person
What is the men’s Rea of Battery?
Intention or recklessness as to the battery.
Where is battery in the law?
s39 CJA 1988
What are the 6 cases for battery?
Collins V Wilcock
Wood ( Fraser ) v DPP
R v Thomas
R v Martin
DDP v K
A v UK
What happened in Collins v Wilcock?
Two police officers tried to talk to two woman who thought they were soliciting for prostitution. The woman walked away and officer grabbed her arm. She scratched his arm and was convicted of assault. She appealed as police wasn’t doing his duty and she was entitled to free herself. Courts agreed.
They said that touching someone whilst trying to get their attention is okay.
What happened in Wood ( Fraser ) v DPP?
Police was told someone named Fraser had thrown an ashtray at someone. 3 police officers arranged and saw Wood who fitted Frasers description leave. One grabbed Woods arm and asked if he was Fraser he denied it and tried to pull away. Another officer trapped his other arm. He was charged with assaulting 2 police officers. 1st officer said he grabbed his arm to detain not arrest. This meant Wood was entitled to struggle.
What happened in R v Thomas and what did it clarify?
D touched a woman’s skirt and rubbed it. COA said that there was no dispute that touching someone’s clothes is equivalent to touching him.
Touching clothing can be sufficient battery.
What happened in DDP v K and what did it clarify?
D was 15 year old school boy who took sulphuric acid from his lesson to see its reaction on toilet paper. He then hid it in the hot air dryer, thinking to remove it later, but before he could another student used the dryer and sprayed with acid. D charge with ABH and was acquitted by Mag. P than appealed where it was held a common assault could be committed through an indirect act.
A battery can occur through an indirect act. D causes force without touching V.
Explain liability arising via an omission?
Occurs if D is under a duty to act - Santa - Bermudez
Explain unlawful force?
Must be unlawful unlike self defence, genuine consent or prevention of a crime and discipline of a child.
What happened in A v UK?
A jury acquitted a father who had his son beaten with a garden cane.
European court of human rights ruled that a law allowing force onto children clashed with Article 3 of ECHR.
However, the Children Act 2004 provides that a battery committed onto a child is unlawful if it results in any injury.