Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Flashcards
Common Law offences against the person
- Assault
- Battery
Offences contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act 1861
s. 47: Assault occasioning Actual Bodily Harm
s. 20: Unlawful wounding or inflicting GBH
s. 18: Causing GBH with unlawful or malicious intent
s. 24: Administering a noxious substance so as to injure, aggrieve or annoy.
s. 23: Administering a noxious substance so as to kill or cause GBH
s. 47
Assault occasioning Actual Bodily Harm
s. 20
Unlawful wounding or inflicting GBH
s. 18
Causing GBH with unlawful or malicious intent
s. 24
Administering a noxious substance so as to injure, aggrieve or annoy
s. 23
Administering a noxious substance so as to kill or cause GBH
Assault is a common law offence
DPP v Little
Punishment prescribed by s. 39 CJA
Assault definition
‘any act which, intentionally or possibly recklessly, causes another person to apprehend immediate and unlawful violence’
Lord Hope: Island and Burstow
AR of Assault
Defined in: Fagan
- any act
- which causes another person to apprehend
- immediate
- personal violence
Assault can be both an act of omission or commission
DPP v Santana Bermuda
Assault: ‘Any Act’
Can include words alone (R v Wilson) and Silence (R v Ireland)
Assault: ‘which cases another person to apprehend’
Apprehend: ordinary english meaning of ‘understand’ or ‘perceive’
- there can be no assault if the victim did not perceive the threat (R v Lamb)
- it is irrelevant whether the defendant is actually able to carry out the threat (Logdon v DPP)
- Words spoken may negate an assault (Tuberville v Savage)
- Silent telephone calls and heavy breathing were capable of causing an apprehension of violence (Ireland and Burstow)
Assault: Immediate
Closer than ‘any future time’ (Turberville)
Can be fear of ‘imminent’ violence (Ireland)
- can be where the apprehension of violence extended over a longer period (Constanza - harassment for 2 years)
Assault: personal violence
The fear must be of physical violence to the victim (Ireland)