Criminal Law – Non-FatalOffences against the Person

Robert Hiscocks

Offences

Assault

Battery

Offences Against thePerson Act 1861

– S 47: AssaultOccasioning ActualBodily Harm

– S 20: Wounding/InflictingGBH

– S 18 Wounding/causingGBH with intent

S 23: Administeringpoison so as toendanger life

S 24: Administeringpoison with intent

Assault & Battery

Common Law or Statutory Offences?

Criminal Justice Act 1988 s 39

DPP v Little

Common Law?

Assault

“Common Assault”

“Technical Assault”

“Assault properly so called”

An assault is any act which … causesanother person to apprehend immediate andunlawful personal violence: Fagan v MPCper James J

Assault: Actus Reus

(a) “Any Act”: includes words alone?

R v Mead & Belt

R v Wilson

R v Ireland/Burstow

(b) “Causes another person to apprehend …violence”

“Apprehend” = “Understand; perceive”:Compact OED

Assault: Actus Reus

What if the victim does not apprehendviolence?

R v Lamb

What if the Defendant is unable to carry outthe threat?

Logdon v DPP

What if the victim is unusually sensitive inperceiving threats?

Assault: Actus Reus

(c) “Personal Violence”

Ireland/Burstow

(d) “Immediate … personal violence”

Tuberville v Savage

Smith v Chief Supt Woking Police Station

R v Constanza

Ireland/Burstow

(e) “Unlawful violence”

Assault: Mens Rea

An assault is any act which intentionally – orpossibly recklessly – causes another personto apprehend immediate and unlawfulpersonal violence: Fagan

R v Venna

Battery

“A term used to mean the actual … use ofunlawful force to another person without hisconsent”: Fagan.

Actus Reus: the unlawful application of forceby the defendant upon the victim”Ireland/Burstow per Lord Steyn

Battery: Force

Can include any touch: Collins v Wilcock

Touching clothes: R v Thomas

No hostility required: Faulkner v Talbot

Indirect application of force

Haystead v DPP

DPP v K

Battery

Actus Reus

Failure to act

Fagan

R v Santana Bermudez

Act must be unlawful

Mens Rea

Intent/Recklessness as to applying force:Venna

Assault Occasioning Actual BodilyHarm

Offences Against the Person Act 1861 s 47

“Whosoever shall be convicted on indictmentof any assault occasioning actual bodilyharm shall be liable… to be imprisoned forany term not exceeding five years”

S 47: Actus Reus

“Assault”

Assault or Battery: DPP v Little

“Occasioning”

“Actual Bodily Harm”

R v Miller

R v Chan Fook

Injury “not be so trivial as to be whollyinsignificant”

“Actual Bodily Harm”

Does this include psychological injury?

Chan-Fook

Ireland/Burstow

S 47 Mens Rea

Intention/recklessness as to the assault orbattery

No mens rea required re any harm

R v Savage/Parmenter

OAPA ss 18 & 20

S 20

“Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciouslywound or inflict any grievous bodily harmupon any other person, either with or withoutany weapon or instrument, shall be guilty ofan offence.”

S 20: Actus Reus

“Wound”

“The continuity of the whole skin must bebroken”

Both layers of skin

C (a minor) v Eisenhower

S 20: Actus Reus

“Inflict any grievous bodily harm”

“Really serious harm”: DPP v Smith

“Serious harm”: R v Saunders

Psychological injury: Ireland/Burstow

“Inflicts”

R v Clarence

R v Wilson, Ireland/Burstow, R v Dica

S 20: Mens Rea

“Maliciously”

Intention or recklessness: R v Cunningham

As to causing some harm (not necessarilyserious): Savage/Parmenter

S 18

Actus Reus

“Wound” – see above

“Cause grievous bodily harm” – see above

“Cause” different to “inflict”?

Ireland/Burstow

Mens Rea

Intention to cause GBH

S 20 & s 18 – compare and contrast

Actus Reus

Wound or inflict GBH

Mens Rea

Intention/recklessnessre causing some harm

Actus Reus

Wound or cause GBH

Mens Rea

Intention to cause GBH

How serious is my injury?

CPS charging standards

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section5/chapter_c.html

These are guidance, not law