Murder

• Definition

  • The unlawful killing of a reasonable creature in being under the King's peace with malice aforethought express or implied
• Sentence

  • Mandatory life sentence
• Actus Reus

  1. Unlawful killing
  2. Reasonable Creature in being
  3. Under the King's Peace
• Unlawful

  • No legal reason for the death (R v Clegg)
• Killing

  • An act/omission (R v Stone + Dobson)
  • Factual = BUT/FOR the actions of D would not have occurred (R v Paggett
  • Legal = SUBSTANTIAL/OPERATIVE cause of death (R v Smith)
  • Must be more than de minimis (R v Kimsney) + no novus actus interveniens
• Reasonable Creature in being

  • A foetus is not a RCIB (Ag ref no3)
  • Brainstem dead is not a RCIB (R v Malcharek)
• Under the King's peace

  • Not in war time (R v Clegg)
• Mens rea

  1. Malice aforethought
  2. Express or implied
• Malice Aforethought

  • Express MA = intention to kill
  • Implied MA = intention to cause GBH
  • R v Vickers
• Direct

  • Main aim or objective of D to bring about consequence
  • R v Mohan
• Oblique

  • Virtual Certainty + D foresaw this (R v Woolin)
• Thin skull rule

  • Take the victim as you find them
  • R v Pagett