Property Offences & Preliminary Offences Flashcards
Where is theft defined?
S.1 of the Theft Act 1968
What is the definition of theft?
A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it
Where is appropriation defined?
S.3 of the Theft Act 1968
What is the definition of appropriation?
Any assumption by a person of the rights of an owner
What does the case Morris say?
D only has to assume one of the owner’s rights
What happened in the case Morris?
D switched the price labels of two items in a supermarket
What was the appropriation in Pitham and Hehl?
The right to sell property
How can property which is acquired innocently be appropriated?
If D keeps it and deals with it as if they were the owner
What does the case Gomez say?
- There can be an appropriation even if the owner of the property consented to D taking it
- an appropriation occurs as soon as one of the owners rights is assumed
What happened in Gomez?
D persuaded the manager to sell electrical goods to an accomplice and to accept payment by two cheques. The cheques were stolen and had no value
What does the case Hinks say?
There can be an appropriation even if the owner of the property has made a legal gift of it to D
What happened in Hinks?
V had a low IQ and gave £60,000 to D who claimed she was his carer
Where is property defined?
Section 4(1) of the Theft Act 1968
What is the definition of property?
Property includes money and all other property, real or personal, including things in action and other intangible property
What does money include?
Coins and banknotes
What does real property include?
Land and buildings
When can real property be stolen?
- when D severs something from the land
* if D is a tenant and removes something which is considered a fixture or structure of the rented accommodation
What does S.4(3) of the Theft Act 1968?
Picking mushrooms, flowers, fruits or foliage growing wild on land which belongs to another is theft of property if it is taken for sale or reward or other commercial purposes
What is personal property?
All moveable items
What does the case Kelly and Lindsay say?
Dead bodies are not personal property unless they are being treated in some way such as for teaching purposes
What does S.4(4) of the Theft Act 1968 say?
Wild creatures are not personal property unless they have been tamed or are ordinarily kept in captivity
What is a thing in action?
A right which can be enforced against another person by a court action
What is not classed as other intangible property?
Electricity
What is not classed as other intangible property in the case Oxford V Moss?
Knowledge
Where is belonging to another defined?
S.5(1) of the Theft Act 1968
What is the definition of belonging to another?
Any person having possession or control of it, or having in it any proprietary right or interest
What does the case Turner say?
It is possible to steal your own property if it is under someone else’s possession or control, or someone else has a proprietary interest in it
What happened in Turner?
D left his car at a garage for repairs then stole it back during the night
What does the case Woodman say?
It is possible for someone to be in possession or control of property even though they don’t know it’s there
What happened in Woodman?
A company sold scrap metal but some was left over without them knowing and some stole the left over metal
What is said under s.5(3)?
Where property is handed over to D by V and there is a legal obligation on D to keep it or deal with it in a particular way, it is still considered as belonging to V
What happened in Davidge V Bunnett?
D was guilty of theft when she was given cheques by her flat mates to pay the bills but she used them to buy presents
What does the case Hall say about S.5(3)?
There must be an obligation to keep or deal with the property in a particular way
What happened in Hall?
D was a travel agent who received money from clients for deposits on their holidays. The business collapsed before he booked the holidays. It was not theft as there was no obligation