BPP University College Of Professional Studies Limited (BPP)
Graduate Diploma in Law
Criminal Law
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Criminal Damage:
1. Identify parties: R v [ ]
2. Identify D’s potentially criminal action, i.e. D damaging …
3. Identify potential offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1971:
o s. 1(1) CDA – basic criminal damage.
o s. 1(2) CDA - aggravated criminal damage.
o ss. 1(1) + 1(3) – arson.
o ss. 1(2) + 1(3) – aggravated arson.
o s. 2 – threats to destroy or damage property.
o s. 3 – possessing anything with intent to damage or destroy property.
2. Establish D has Actus Reus of relevant offence (above) and follow through with Mens Rea:
o s. 1(1) – Intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging property belonging to another without
lawful excuse.
→ AR: D must
‘Destroy or damage’:
o Not defined in CDA.
o Samuel v Stubbs: ‘destroy/damage’:- matter of fact and degree (e.g.
‘damage’ an ordinary word that does not need to be defined).
o A (a juvenile) v R: spitting on a policeman’s jacket was not held to be
criminal damage as there were no costs incurred, monetary, or otherwise.
o As per Hardman v CC of Avon ‘damage’ need not be permanent.
o Roe v Kingerlee: mud on cell wall of prison held to be ‘damage’ despite the
fact that it was easily removable. Time and effort = expenses incurred.
o Morphitas v Salmon: damage includes ‘permanent/temporary impairment
of value or usefulness of property’. On the facts, D dismantled a road block
– scratching it in the process. Held: scratch was not criminal damage as it
did not affect the usefulness/value of the barrier and was physical harm
expected as ordinarily incident to its existence.
o R v Fiak: D flooded prison cell by blocking toilet. Cell and blanket (used to
block toilet) rendered temporarily useless.
‘Property’:
o s. 10(1) – property includes tangible/real or personal/money/wild
creatures tamed or ordinarily kept in captivity.
o R v Whitely: intangible info is not property.
o s. 10(1)(b) –does not include wild mushrooms/fruits/plants.
‘Belonging to another’:
o s. 10(2) – Property shall be treated for the purposes of this act as belonging
to any person having (a) custody of control if it; (b) in it any proprietary
right or interest; (c) a charge on it.
→ MR: D must be shown to have
‘Intention/recklessness as to destroying or damaging the property’:
o R v Smith: Direct intent. D must know that the property belongs to another
or at least realise that it may; they must intend to damage/destroy the V’s
property, or at least realise that their actions may result as such.
o When prosecution relying on recklessness apply R v G: test:
1. At the time of committing the AR, the D must be subjectively
aware of the risk;
, 2. In the circumstances known to the D, the risk of damage
associated with D’s action must be one which is objectively
unreasonable.
→ CC of Somerset & Avon v Shimmen: - on p. ii consider social utility
of D’s action. On facts: D act of punitive social utility (smashing
window vis-à-vis martial arts). Small risk not one worth take. Not
reasonable.
o s. 1(2) – Aggravated Criminal Damage – Destroying or damaging property belonging to another with
intention or recklessness as to destroying the property and also as to endangering life.
→ AR: D must
‘Destroy or damage’ (as above);
‘Property’ (as above);
‘Belonging to D or another’:
NB- D can commit an aggravated criminal damage against his own
property.
→ MR: D must have
‘Intention/recklessness as to destroying or damaging property’; AND
Intention/recklessness as to thereby endangering the life of another.
(R v G test of recklessness applies as above).
o NB- there is no requirement that D actually endangers the life of another;
they must simply intend to or be reckless to doing so: R v Sangha.
o The danger to life foreseen or intended must arise specifically from the
damage caused but not cause the damage:
→ R v Steer: D fired shots through window- Held: not to constitute
aggravated criminal damage as the danger to life flowed from the
bullets not the broken window.
→ R v Steer: when dealing with ‘fire’ it is not ‘the match… or any
other inflammatory agent which D uses which endangers life but
the ensuing burning of the property.’
→ R v Dudley: D threw firebomb into premises which he knew were
inhabited. Held: to be aggravated criminal damage despite the
fact that the flames were immediately extinguished and so no life
was actually endangered.
→ R v Webster: D pushed stone off bridge onto a train: Held to be
aggravated criminal damage as D damaged the train roof with the
intention/reckless to fact that would collapse and endanger life of
passengers on board.
o ss. 1(1) + ss. 1(3) – Arson – destroying or damaging property by fire:
o ss. 1(2) + ss. 1(3) – Aggravated Arson – destroying or damaging property and engendering life by
fire:
→ AR: as above;
→ MR: as above.
o S. 2 – threats to destroy or damage property:
→ AR: D must
Make a threat to another to:
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