Violence Offences Flashcards
To determine an appropriate charge, the investigation will focus on establishing…
- Offender’s intent
2. Degree of harm suffered by a victim
Legislation
Wounding With Intent
S.188 C.A.1961
- Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years, who with intent to cause GBH to anyone, wounds, maims, disfigures, causes GBH to any person.
- Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who, with intent to injure anyone, or with reckless disregard for the safety of others, wounds, maims, disfigures or causes GBH to any person.
Person
Gender neutral.
Proven by judicial notice or circumstantially.
It is not necessary that the person suffering the harm is the intended victim.
Intent
In a criminal law context there are two specific types of intent.
Firstly, there must be an intention to effect an act.
Secondly, there must be an intention to get a specific result.
Proving Intent
The onus is generally on the prosecution to prove an offender’s intent beyond reasonable doubt.
Offender’s admission is good evidence, but it is good practice to support those with circumstantial evidence.
The circumstantial evidence:
- Offender’s words / actions before or after an event
- Surrounding circumstances
- Nature of the act itself
Additional Circumstantial Evidence (8 points)
- Previous threats
- Evidence of premeditation
- Use of weapon
- Whether the weapon used was an opportunistic or purposefully brought
- Number of blows
- Degree of force
- Body parts targeted (eg head)
- Degree of resistance / helplessness of a victim
R v TAISALIKA
The nature of the blow and the gash which it produced on the complainant’s head would point strongly on the presence of the necessary intent.
Loss of memory of past events is not the same as lack of intent at the time.
Degree of harm
Wounding / maiming / disfiguring need not be grievous if in causing that harm, the offender had the intent to cause really serious harm.
Causes GBH
A person causes GBH if their actions make them criminally responsible for it.
GBH
DPP v SMITH
“Bodily Harm” needs no explanation and “Grievous” means no more and no less than really serious.
GBH can be defined as harm that is really serious.
As long as the harm is serious, it need not involve life threatening or permanent injury.
As long as the harm is serious, it does not matter how it was caused.
Psychiatric Injury
“Bodily Harm” in s.188 C.A.1961 includes really serious psychiatric injury identified as such by an appropriate specialist evidence.
Not limited to immediate harm
All that is required for the actus reus is an act of causing GBH.
There is a physical link between a cause and effect, but not one of time.
Consequences may be delayed, but there are consequences nonetheless.
Wounds
Wound involves the breaking of the skin and flowing of the blood, either internally or externally.
R v WATERS
A breaking of the skin would be commonly regarded as a characteristic of a wound.
The breaking of the skin will be normally evidenced by flow of blood, and in its occurrence at the site of a blow or impact, the wound will more often than not be external.
But there are those cases, where the bleeding, which evidences a separation of tissues, may be internal.
Wounding vs GBH
Wounding / maiming / disfiguring - type of the injury.
GBH - degree or seriousness of the injury.
(Single stab - may be wounding, but five stabs - GBH due to seriousness of the wounds caused)
Maiming
Involves militating / crippling / disabling a part of a body so, as to deprive a person of the use of a limb or one of the senses.
Requires some degree of permanence.
Disfigurement
To “disfigure” means to deform or deface, to mar or alter a figure or appearance of a person.
Does not have to be permanent.
R v RAPANA
The word “Disfigure” covers not only permanent damage, but also temporary damage.
The Doctrine of Transferred Malice
It is not necessary that the person suffering the harm was the intended victim.
Where the defendant mistakes the identity of the person injured, or when the harm intended for one person accidentally inflicted on another, he is still criminally responsible, under the Doctrine of Transferred Malice, despite the wrong target being struck.
Injury vs GBH
Harm at the lower scale of seriousness - injury.
Harm at the higher scale of seriousness - wounds / maims / disfigures or GBH (depending on seriousness)
To injure
To injure means to cause actual bodily harm
Actual Bodily Harm
Actual Bodily Harm may be internal or external.
Does not have to be permanent or dangerous.
Actual bodily harm may include a psychiatric injury, if medical evidence confirms an identifiable clinical condition.
Expert evidence should be called identifying a recognised psychiatric illness.
R v DONAVAN
“Bodily Harm” includes any hurt or injury calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the victim. It need not be permanent, but must, no doubt, be more than merely transitory or trifling.
Recklessness
Acting recklessly involves consciously and deliberately taking an unjustifiable risk.
It must be proved not only that the defendant was aware of the risk and proceeded regardless (subjective test), but also that it was unreasonable for him to do so (objective test).
R v HARNEY
Recklessness means the conscious and deliberate taking of an unjustified risk.
In NZ it involves proof that he consequences complained of could well happen, together with an intention to continue the course of conduct regardless of the risk.
Proving Recklessness
The following must be proved:
- The defendant consciously and deliberately ran the risk (subjective test)
- The risk was one that was unreasonable to take in the circumstances, as they were known to the defendant (objective test based on whether a reasonable person would have taken the risk)
Subjective meaning - an accused had conscious appreciation of the relevant risks.
Reckless disregard for the safety of others
While it is necessary to prove that the defendant foresaw the risk of injury to others, it is not necessary that he recognised the extend of injury that would result.
Legislation
Injuring With Intent
S.189 C.A.1961
(1) Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who, with intent to cause GBH to anyone, injures any person
(2) Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years who, with intent to injure any person, or with reckless disregard for the safety of others, injures any person
Legislation
Aggravated Wounding or Injury
S.191 C.A.1961
(1) Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who, with intent -
(a) To commit or facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence, or
(b) To avoid the detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of any imprisonable offence, or
(c) To avoid the arrest or facilitate the flight of himself or of any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of any imprisonable offence -
Wounds, maims, disfigures, causes GBH to any person, or stupefies or renders unconscious any person, or by any violent means renders any person incapable of resistance
(2) Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who, with any such intent as aforesaid, injures any person.
Specific intent to be proved in Aggravated Wounding / Injury
One of the specific intents is required to be proved:
- Intent to commit or facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence
- Intent to avoid the detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of any imprisonable offence
- Intent to avoid arrest or facilitate the flight of himself or of any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of any imprisonable offence
Where the offender assaults the victim with one of those intents, but no actual harm is suffered, the appropriate charge is Aggravated Assault (s.192 C.A.1961)
Two fold test for intent
The prosecution must satisfy “two fold” test for intent:
- The defendant intended to facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence (or (a), (b), (c) s.191 C.A.1961)
- The defendant intended to cause the specific harm, or was reckless as that risk
R v TIHI
In addition to one of the specified intents outlined in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) it must be proved that the offender either meant to cause the specific harm, or foresaw that the actions undertaken by him were likely to expose others to the risk of suffering it.
Imprisonable Offence
Any offence punishable by a term of imprisonment
Facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence
S.191(1)(a) - The offender causes the specific harm to make it easier for him to commit the intended imprisonable offence.
Providing the defendant had the necessary intent at the time of causing the harm, it is immaterial whether he actually commits the intended imprisonable offence or not.
Avoid detection
S.191(1)(b) - The defendant causes the specific harm during the commission of an imprisonable offence to prevent himself or another person from being “caught in the act”
Facilitate Flight
The defendant causes the specific harm to enable the offender(s) to more easily make their escape or to prevent their capture. It must be proved that an imprisonable offence has been committed or attempted.
R v WATI
There must be proof of the commission or attempted commission of a crime by either the person committing the assault or by the person whose arrest or flight he intends to avoid or facilitate
Stupefies
To “stupefy” means to 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 may hinder an intended crime. It may also include the circumstances where administration of drugs has led to dis-inhibition and stimulated uncharacteristic behaviour.
Renders unconscious
The offender’s actions must cause the victim to lose consciousness (includes blow, kick, administration of noxious substances, etc)
Violent Means
Violent means include the application of force that physically incapacitates a person, such as tying the victim’s hands/feet or inflicting debilitating injuries.
It is not limited to physical violence and may also include threat of violence depending on the circumstances.
Renders incapable of resistance
Mere threat of violence may not in itself be sufficient to constitute “violent means”.
The victim must submit to the offender’s will in the belief that he will carry out his threats unless they do so.
Aggravated Injuring
The offender has one of the intents listed in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) of section 191 CA1961, but the outcome to the victim is injury
Legislation
Aggravated Assault
S.192 CA1961
- Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years who assaults any other person with intent -
(a) To commit or facilitate the commission of any imprisonable offence, or
(b) To avoid the detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of any imprisonable offence, or
(c) To avoid the arrest or facilitate the flight I of himself or of any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of any imprisonable offence. - Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years who assaults any constable or any person acting in aid of any constable, or any person in the lawful execution of any process, with intent to obstruct the person so assaulted in the execution of his duty.
S.192(1) What is to be proved:
- Assault (all elements)
- Intention to apply or attempt to apply force;
- Application or attempted application of force, whether directly or indirectly;
- Threat to apply force in circumstances where the victim believes the offender will be able to carry out the threat - Offender’s intent at the time of the assault:
- To commit or facilitate the commission of an imprisonable offence;
- To avoid the detection of himself or of any other person in the commission of an imprisonable offence;
- To avoid the arrest or facilitate the flight of himself or of any other person upon the commission or attempted commission of an imprisonable offence.
S.192(2) What is to be proved:
- Assault (all elements)
- Intent to apply or attempt to apply force;
- Application or attempted application of force, whether directly or indirectly;
- Threat to apply force in circumstances where the victim believes the offender will be able to carry out the threat - Offender’s intent at the time of the assault:
- To obstruct the Constable, a person coming to their aid or anyone executing a lawful process
Legislation
Discharging Firearm or Doing Dangerous Act With Intent
S.198 CA1961
- Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who, with intent to do GBH -
(a) - Discharges any firearm, airgun, or other similar weapon at any person, or
(b) - Sends or delivers to any person, or puts in any place, any explosive or injurious substance or device, or
(c) - Sets fire to any property - Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who, with intent to injure or with reckless disregard for the safety of others, does any of the act referred to in subsection (1) of this section.
S.198 Mens Rea and Actus Reus
Mens Rea: - Intent to do GBH, or - Intent to injure, or - Reckless disregard for the safety of others Actus Reus: - Discharging a firearm at a person, or - Delivering explosives, or - Setting fire to property (tangible)
Where the victim suffers actual bodily harm, the appropriate charge is under s.188 / 189 CA1961
R v PEKEPO
A reckless discharge of a firearm in the general direction of a passer-by who happens to be hit is not sufficient. An intention to shoot that person must be established.
Discharge
Means to fire or shoot
Firearm vs Airgun
Firearm acts by force of explosives
Airgun acts by force of compressed air or gas
Injurious Substance or Device
Covers range of things capable of causing harm to a person
S.198(1) - Completion of the offence
S.198(1)(a) - Actual discharge of a firearm at a person
S.198(1)(b) - Explosive, injurious substance or device sent/delivered/put in place
It is not necessary for the explosion to occur, but the substance must be capable of exploding or causing injury.
Property
Includes any real or personal property, and any estate or interest in any real or personal property, money, electricity, and any debt, and any thing in action, and any other right or interest.
Legislation
Using Any Firearm Against Law Enforcement Officer, etc
S.198A CA1961
- Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who uses any firearm in any manner whatever against any Constable, or any traffic officer, or any prison officer acting in the course of his or her duty knowing that, or being reckless whether or not, that person is a member of the Police, or a traffic officer, or a prison officer so acting.
- Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who 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 firearm in any manner whatever
“In any manner whatever” includes a range of acts that stop short of actual shooting at an officer.
It is not necessary that the firearm was present at the officer or that it be discharged.
Also includes the use of firearms in ways in which they are not normally used, such as a club.
R v SWAIN
To deliberately and purposefully remove a sawn-off shotgun from a bag after being confronted by or called upon by a Police Constable amounts to a use of that firearm within the meaning of s.198A CA1961
Legislation
Constable - Interpretation
S.4 Policing Act 2008
Constable means a Police employee who -
(a) Holds the office of Constable (whether appointed as a Constable under the Policing Act 1958 or this Act), and
(b) Includes a Constable who holds any level of position within the NZ Police