Robbery

• What is Robbery?

  1. A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force: s.8 of the THEFT ACT 1968
• Actus Reus of Robbery:

  2. S.8, all the actus reus elements of theft must be present.

  • The moment the appropriation is complete there is a robbery; D does not have to escape with the property: CORCORAN v ANDERTON
• Actus Reus of Robbery:

  3. Under s.8, force can be used on any person in order to steal or D can put any person in fear of force in order to steal.

  • Where D uses force, the amount of force can be small: DAWSON AND JAMES
  • Force used or threatened on any person. In P v DPP, it was accepted that force could be applied indirectly.
• Actus Reus of Robbery:

  4. Force must be used or threatened immediately before or at the time of the theft in order to steal.

  • However, for the offence of robbery, an appropriation can be a continuing act and it should be left to the jury to decide when it has stopped: HALE
• Mens Rea of Robbery:

  1. The same as theft and D must satisfy: under s.8, D must have the mens rea of theft.

  • D must have intended to use or threaten force on any person in order to steal.