Serious Assaults Flashcards
Wounding With Intent
Section, Act and Elements
Section 188(1), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to cause GBH
- To any person
- Wounds or Maims or Disfigures or Causes GBH
- To any person
Wounding With Intent (Reckless)
Section, Act and Elements
Section 188(2), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to injure any person OR With reckless disregard for the safety of others
- Wounds or Maims or Disfigures or Causes GBH
- To any person
Intent v Outcome
Difference between 188(1) and 188(2)
- The distinction between the two subsections is the offenders intent.
- In (1) the offender intends to cause GBH
- In (2) the offender intends to only injure the Victim although the outcome is a greater degree of harm than anticipated.
Intent
Definition
- To commit the act and get a specific result
R v Collister
Intent case law
An offenders intent can be inferred by;
- Offenders actions or words before, during or after the event
- Surrounding circumstances
- Nature of the act itself
Proving Intent in Serious Assault Cases
additional circumstantial evidence
- Prior threats
- Evidence of premeditation
- The use of a weapon
- Whether any weapon used was opportunistic or purposely brought
- The number of blows
- The degree of force used
- The body parts targeted by the offender
- The degree of resistance or helplessness of the victim
R v Taisalika
Intent case law
The nature of the blow and gash which it produced would point strongly to the presence of the necessary intent.
R v Hunt
Degree of harm case law
Wounding, maiming or disfiguration does not need to be grievous, if in causing that harm the defendant had intent to cause really serious harm.
DPP v Smith
GBH definition
- GBH can be defined simply as harm that is really serious
- Bodily harms needs no explanation and grievous means no more and no less than really serious.
R v Waters
Wounds case law
A wound involves the breaking of the skin and normally evidenced by a flow of blood. This can be either externally or internally.
Wounding v GBH
Difference between terms
- A wound refers to the type of injury caused, whereas the term grievous refers to the degree or seriousness of the injury.
Maiming
Definition
- Depriving another of the use of a limb or one of the senses.
Disfigurement
Definition
- To deform or deface or alter the figure or appearance of a person.
R v Rapana and Murray
Disfigurement case law
The word disfigure covers not only permanent damage but also temporary damage.
Doctrine of Transferred Malice
Definition
- It is not necessary that the person suffering harm was the intended Victim. Where the Defendant mistakes identity or where harm is accidentally inflicted on another he is still criminally liable.
Injure
Definition
- Cause actual bodily harm.
R v Donovan
Bodily Harm case law
Bodily harm includes any hurt or injury calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the victim, it does not need to be permanent.
Reckless
Definition
- Consciously and deliberately taking an unjustifiable risk.
Cameron v R
Recklessness case law
Recklessness is established if
- The Defendant recognised that there was a real possibility that their actions would bring about the proscribed result and the proscribed circumstances existed AND
- Having regards to that risk those actions were unreasonable
Injures With Intent
Section, Act, Elements
Section 189(1), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to cause GBH
- To anyone
- Injures
- Any person
Injures With Intent (Reckless)
Section, Act, Elements
Section 189(2), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to injure any person OR With reckless disregard for the safety of others
- Injures
- Any person
Aggravated Wounding
Section, Act, Elements
Section 191(1), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to commit or facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence OR
- To avoid detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of any imprisonable offence OR
- To avoid the arrest or facilitate the flight of himself or any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of any imprisonable offence
- Wounds, maims, disfigures, or causes grievous bodily harm to any person, or
- Stupefies or renders unconscious any person, or
- By any violent means renders any person incapable of resistance
- Any person
Aggravated Wounding (Injures) *Section, Act, Elements*
Section 191(2), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to commit or facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence OR
- To avoid detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of any imprisonable offence OR
- To avoid the arrest or facilitate the flight of himself or any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of any imprisonable offence
- Injures
- Any person
Two-fold Test for Intent
In relation to Agg Wounding
- The Defendant intended to facilitate the commission of an imprisonable offence AND
- They intended to cause the harm or were reckless as to that risk
R v Tihi
Aggravated Wounding Intent case law
It must be shown that the offender either meant to cause the specified harm or foresaw the actions were likely to expose others to the risk
Facilitate
Definition
- Intentionally or recklessly causes the specified harm in order to make it easier to commit the intended imprisonable offence.
Avoid Detection
Definition
- Causes the specified harm to prevent them or another being caught in the act
Facilitate Flight
Definition
- Specified harm is caused to enable the offender or offenders to more easily make their escape or prevent their capture
R v Wati
Facilitate Flight case law
There must be proof of the commission or attempted commission of a crime either by the person committing the assault or by the person whose arrest or flight he intends to avoid or facilitate.
Stupefies
Definition
- Cause an effect on the mind or nervous system of a person, which really seriously interferes with that person’s mental or physical ability to act in any way which might hinder an intended crime
Renders Unconscious
Definition
- Cause to be or cause to become
Violent Means
Definition
- The application of force that physically incapacitates a person or inflicting debilitating injuries.
- It is not limited to physical violence and may include threats of violence depending on circumstances
Aggravated Assault
Section, Act, Elements
Section 192(1), Crimes Act 1961
- Any Person
- With intent to commit or facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence OR
- To avoid detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of any imprisonable offence OR
- To avoid the arrest or facilitate the flight of himself or any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of any imprisonable offence
- Assaults another person
Aggravated Assault
For a conviction you must prove
- You must prove all elements of assault for a conviction which are; intention to apply or attempt to apply force to another, application or attempted application of force whether directly or indirectly or threaten to apply force in circumstances where the victim believes the offender will be able to carry out the threat
- It must also be proven that (a), (b) or (c) of Section 192 was intended at the time of the assault
Discharging Firearm or Doing Dangerous Act with Intent
Section, Act, Elements
Section 198(1), Crimes Act 1961
- With Intent to do grievous bodily harm
- Discharges any firearm, airgun, or other similar weapon at any person or
- Sends or delivers to any person, or puts in any place, any explosive or injurious substance or device or
- Sets fire to property
Discharging Firearm or Doing Dangerous Act with Intent (Injures / Reckless)
Section, Act, Elements
Section 198(2), Crimes Act 1961
- With intent to injure or with reckless disregard for the safety of others
- Does any of the acts referred to in subsection (1) of this section
Discharging Firearm or Doing Dangerous Act with Intent
Mens Rea and Actus Rea
- Intent to GBH, intent to injure, reckless disregard for the safety of others
- Discharging a firearm at a person, delivering explosives, setting fire to property
Based on intentions and actions rather than outcomes and consequences
R v Pekepo
intention to shoot case law
A reckless discharge of a firearm in the general direction of a passer-by who happens to be hit is not sufficient proof. An intention to shoot that person must be established.
Discharge
Definition
- To fire or shoot
Firearm
Definition
- Anything from which any shot, bullet, missile, or other projectile can be discharged by force of explosive
Explosive
Definition
- Any substance or mixture or combination of substances which in its normal state is capable either of decomposition at such rapid rate as to result in an explosion or of producing a pyrotechnic effect
Property
Definition
- Includes real and personal property and any estate or interest in the real or personal property
Using Any Firearm Against Law Enforcement Officer
Section, Act, Elements
Section 198A(1), Crimes Act 1961
- Any Person
- Uses Any Firearm in any matter whatever
- Against any constable, traffic officer, or prison officers
- Acting in the course of his or her duty
- Knowing that or being reckless whether or not that person is a member of police, or traffic officer, or prison officer
Using Any Firearm Against Law Enforcement Officer (Resist Arrest)
Section, Act, Elements
Section 198A(2), Crimes Act 1961
- Any Person
- Uses Any Firearm in any manner whatever
- With intent to resist the lawful arrest or detention of himself or herself or any other person
Uses In Any Manner Whatever
Definition
- To fire and include a range of acts that stop short of actually shooting at an officer. Can also include the use of firearms in ways in which they are not normally used
R v Swain
Uses in any manner whatever case law
To deliberately or purposefully remove a swan-off shotgun from a bag after being confronted by a police constable amounts to a use of that firearm within the meaning of s198A Cimes Act 1961
Constable
Definition
- A police employee who holds the office of constable, includes a constable who holds any level of position within the New Zealand Police.
Acting In The Course Of Duty
Definition
- Police duties arise under both statute and common law, include protecting life and property, preventing and detecting crime, apprehending offenders and keeping the peace.
Knowing
Definition in relation to police officer acting in course of duty
- The Defendant must know the victim is a police officer and know that the officer is acting in the course of their duty or be reckless as to those facts
Simester and Brookbanks
Knowing case law
Knowing means knowing or correctly believing.
Intent to Resist Lawful Arrest or Detention
Definition
- It must be proved that the Defendant knew an attempt was being made to arrest or detain them, or the person they are assisting
Fisher v R
Lawful arrest or Detention case law
To prove the accused knew someone was attempting to arrest or detain them because otherwise the element of mens rea of intending to resist lawful arrest or detention cannot be established
Commission of an Imprisonable Offence with Firearm
Section, Act, Elements
Section 198B, Crimes Act 1961
- Any person
- In committing any imprisonable offence, uses any firearm or
- While committing any imprisonable offence has any firearm with him or her in circumstances that prima facie show an intention to use it in connection with that imprisonable offence
Uses Any Firearm
Definition in relation to 198B - commission of imprisonable offence
- Includes firing or presenting a firearm or displaying it in a menacing manner.
Has With Him
Definition in relation to firearm
- There must be evidence that the Defendant not only had possession, in the sense the they knowingly had custody or control of a firearm, but also that it was at the time available and at hand for them to use while committing the imprisonable offence.