Non-fatal offences

• Assault

  An act causing immediate fear of violence.
• Actus reus

  an act which causes the victim to apprehend immediate fear
• Actual bodily harm


  Injury interfering with victim's health or comfort.
• Loss of consciousness

  Even momentary loss constitutes harm.
• Psychiatric harm


  Recognizable psychiatric illness.
• Mens rea


  Criminal intent for assault or battery.
• Unlawful force

  Force applied without legal justification.
• Assault occasioning ABH

  Assault leading to actual bodily harm.
• Conditional threat

  Threat lacking immediate intent.
• Unlawful force distinction

  Threats not amounting to unlawful force.
• Mens rea of assault

  Intent or recklessness to cause fear.
• Battery

  Application of unlawful force to another.
• Application of force

  Minimal force applied unlawfully.
• Continuing Act

  Battery committed through a series of actions, like in Fagan v Metropolitan Police Commissioner 1968
• Indirect Application

  Applying force without direct physical contact, as seen in DPP v K 1990
• Omissions

  Failing to act can also constitute battery, as in DPP v Santa Bermudez 2003
• Mens Rea

  Mental state for battery: intentional or reckless application of force
• s.18 OAPA 1861 GBH


  Offense more severe than s.20 GBH, with a maximum punishment of life imprisonment
• Actus Reus

  Physical act of causing harm, like wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm
• Malicious Wounding

  Intentionally causing harm to another, a component of s.20 OAPA 1861
• Inflicting GBH

  Causing severe harm to another, a component of s.20 OAPA 1861
• Wound

  Breaking both layers of the skin, as in JJC v Eisenhower 1983
• Mens Rea of s.20 OAPA 1861


  Intent or recklessness as to causing harm, described as 'maliciously