Non Fatal Offences Flashcards
Hierarchy of non fatal offences low to high
Assault or battery
S47
S20
S18
Common assault is under
S39 of criminal justice act 1988
2 ways of committing common assault
Assault
Battery
Max punishment for common assault
6 months or
£5000 fine or
Both
Definition of assault
No touching
Fear of immediate unlawful force
Intention to cause fear or recklessness
Actus reus if assault
An act (some act or words) Apprehend immediate unlawful force (no assault if obvious D can’t actually use force)
Case for assault
Smith v Woking police station D outside V window Not in house V was frightened Fright enough
One way to prevent from being assault
Words used to dip dictate there will be no violence
4 examples of assault
Raising a Fist
Throwing stone that misses V
Pointing loaded gun
‘I am going to hit you’
Force in assault and battery must be
Unlawful
Mens rea of assault
Intention to cause fear
Test for recklessness in assault
Subjective
D must realise there is a risk that his words could cause fear
Definition of battery
Unlawful force to another person
Intending to apply unlawful physical force
Actus reus for battery
Application Of unlawful force
Continuing act for battery
May commit crime at first by accident but then intend to carry on offence
Case for continuing act for battery
Fagan v police
D Parked car on police officers foot by accident
Then refused to move car when they asked him to
Indirect act battery
Booby trap
Not personally touching victim
But intending harm
Case for indirect act battery
DPP b K
School boy out sulphuric acid in hand dryer
Someone used it and got burnt
Omissions in battery
Failure to act
Only if d is under duty of care
Case for omissions in battery
DPP v Santa Bermudez
Policempwoman asked if there were any needles on d
Searched him
Injured by needle, bled
Battery with no assault
If v is unaware of d there is no assault
Men’s rea for battery
Intention to apply unlawful physical force
Recklessness
Must realise there is a risk
OAPA
offences against the Persons act
Lowest Assault where actual harm is caused
Actual bodily harm
Triable either way