Case Summaries
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R v Miller – 1954
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
The defendant, Mr Miller, had been the husband of the victim who, at the time of the alleged offence, had left the respondent and filed……
R v Malcherek and Steel
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
Malcherek stabbed his wife in the abdomen. She was treated for the wound and a few days later she collapsed in hospital. She subsequently had surgery to remove a blood clot during which her heart stopped beating for thirty minutes before it was restarted by the doctors again….
R v Cheshire – 1991
Example case summary. Last modified: September 28, 2021
Chain of causation – Death in hospital following shooting. Cheshire shot a man during the course of an argument. The victim was taken to hospital to have surgery and shortly after developed respiratory issues….
R v Brind 1991 | Case Summary
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
The applicants sought a judicial review of directives issued by the Home Secretary. The directives placed limits on the broadcasting permission……
R v Taaffe – 1984
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
Paul Desmond Taafe (T) was enlisted by a third party in Holland to import cannabis into England, which was prohibited to import under the……
R v R – 1992
Example case summary. Last modified: September 29, 2021
The defendant married his wife (complainant) in August 1984. After the marriage did not work, she moved out in October 1989 and took her son to live with her parents. At the time of the incident in November 1989, they were separated but not legally divorced….
R v Clinton – 2012
Example case summary. Last modified: October 1, 2021
In the first case, Clinton killed his wife in their family home because of her sexual infidelity. He was convicted of murder and arson by the Crown Court. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with minimum specified term of 26 years….
R v Blaue – 1975
Example case summary. Last modified: March 13, 2026
After the victim refused the defendant’s sexual advances the defendant stabbed the victim four times. Whist the victim was admitted to hospital she required medical treatment which involved a blood transfusion….
R v Dawson and James – 1976
Example case summary. Last modified: July 5, 2019
One defendant pushed the victim who lost his balance enabling the second defendant to steal his wallet. The two defendants were convicted……
R v Home Secretary, ex p Northumbria Police Authority
Example case summary. Last modified: July 5, 2019
Public disturbances some years earlier resulted in the Home Office opting to create a stock of CS gas (commonly known as riot control gas)……
R v Golds
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
Golds admitted to killing his partner and prior to the killing he had sexually assaulted her. The question for the jury was whether he was guilty of murder or manslaughter by virtue of diminished responsibility under s. 2(1) Homicide Act 1957. …
R v Clarence
Example case summary. Last modified: December 29, 2020
The defendant, Charles James Clarence (CJC) was charged for unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm upon his wife Selina Clarence (SC) and……
R v G (2003) – Recklessness in Criminal Law
Example case summary. Last modified: October 5, 2021
Prior to the case of R v G, there were two main approaches to recklessness. The first was derived from the case of R v Cunningham were the interpretation of recklessness was when the defendant foresees the risk of harm yet does the act anyway….
R v Shillam – 2013
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
Shillam bought cocaine from R, in order to sell. He had been observed by police surveillance units meeting with R and was arrested driving a van and……
R v Poulton – 1832
Example case summary. Last modified: July 5, 2019
A mother strangled her newborn baby, and was charged with the murder. Three medical men testified before a jury that a child can die during……
R v Gomez – 1993
Example case summary. Last modified: October 5, 2021
Dishonest appropriation of property by using stolen cheques to mislead shop manager. The defendant, Gomez (G) was an assistant shop manager. G colluded with two accomplices who were in possession of stolen cheques….
R v Hardie – 1985
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
Mr Hardie was charged with arson under ss 1(2) and (3) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 (CDA), for allegedly intending to damage a woman’s……
R v Foreign Secretary ex parte Abbasi
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
The first claimant was a British national who had been captured by United States forces in Afghanistan and detained in Guantanamo Bay……
R v Lowe – 1973
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
The connection between “wilful neglect” under s.1(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and manslaughter by negligence. Mr Lowe, of low intelligence, did not call a doctor to his sick infant child. The child died from dehydration and gross emaciation….
R v Constanza – 1997
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
Whether words alone could constitute an assault and the temporal element of fear of immediate violence. A man was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm of a female ex-colleague. …
R v Burgess – 1991
Example case summary. Last modified: July 13, 2019
The appellant (B) was charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. His defence was that during the event he was sleep……
R v Gurpinar; R v Kojo-Smith and Caton
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
Mr Gurpinar and Mr Kojo-Smith were convicted of murder. Mr Gurpinar claimed self-defence, accident and lack of intent to cause serious injury……
R v Ciccarelli
Example case summary. Last modified: July 13, 2019
The incident took place at a house party with the complainant in attendance, as well as the defendant and his girlfriend. They had met three……
R v Bunch – 2013
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
The defendant, Bunch, murdered the victim in front of her husband by stabbing her more than 20 times after the relationship between the two ended….
R v Chan Fook
Example case summary. Last modified: July 3, 2019
The appellant, Mr Chan-Fook, had accused the victim, a lodger, of the theft of his fiancé’s engagement ring. The appellant, after striking the victim……
R v Collins – 1973
Example case summary. Last modified: October 5, 2021
The defendant, Collins, climbed up to the window of a young woman at 4:00 a.m. When she awoke and saw him on her window sill. She mistook him for her boyfriend and beckoned him in. …
R v Johnson – 2007
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
J was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Following his arrest, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia……
R v Instan – 1893
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
Instan was cared for and maintained by her seventy-three-year-old aunt who was the deceased in this case. The deceased was healthy until shortly before her death before she contracted gangrene in her leg which prevented her from moving and caring for herself….
R v Lamb 1967
Example case summary. Last modified: October 22, 2021
Case Summary of R v Lamb 1967 2 QB 981. Involuntary Manslaughter. The appellate judgment of R v Lamb 1967 2 QB 981 (Lamb) clarifies the requisite elements required to satisfy any of the forms of involuntary manslaughter….
R v Cato – 1976
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
Mr Cato and the victim prepared their own syringes and then injected each other with heroin. The victim died. Mr Cato was convicted of manslaughter and administering a noxious thing contrary to s. 23 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861….
R v Evans – 2009
Example case summary. Last modified: September 30, 2021
Manslaughter by gross negligence – duty of care. Evans purchased heroin and gave it to her half-sister who later self-ingested the drug. Evans recognised that the victim had symptoms akin to those of an overdose and remained with her mother and the victim, without calling for medical assistance as they feared getting into trouble….
R v Hayward
Example case summary. Last modified: July 3, 2019
A husband and wife had an argument that led to the husband chasing his wife out into the street. The wife collapsed during this altercation and died….
R v Smith – 1959
Example case summary. Last modified: September 28, 2021
Causation – The defendant was a soldier who stabbed one of his comrades during a fight in an army barracks. The victim was taken to receive medical attention, but whilst being carried to the hospital was dropped twice by those carrying him….
R v Kelly and Lindsay – 1998
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
The first defendant (K) had access to the Royal College of Surgeons to take drawings of anatomical specimens. The second defendant……
R v Steer
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
Steer went to his business partner’s property rang the doorbell and after no answer, fired a rifle at the bedroom and sitting room windows and the door……
R v Barnes – 2004
Example case summary. Last modified: October 4, 2021
Criminal law – Assault – Inflicting grievous bodily harm in the course of sport. The appellant was an amateur footballer. He was playing a football match, went in for a tackle and seriously injured his opponent’s leg. …
R v Hampden – Summary
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
Ship money was a type of tax originating from medieval times. It was historically collected as part of the Royal Prerogative from coastal……
R v Hennessy – 1989
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
Diabetes and defences – automatism or insanity in hyperglycaemic cases. The appellant (a diabetic) was apprehended while driving a stolen car. He later collapsed at the police station it became apparent that he was having a diabetic episode….
R v Galliano – 1996
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
G was charged with the murder of his wife, A. There was evidence that either G killed A himself, or that a killer carried out the……
R v Pagett – 1983
Example case summary. Last modified: September 28, 2021
The appellant shot at a police officer who was trying to arrest him, and subsequently attempted to use a pregnant teenage girl standing nearby as a human shield to defend himself against retaliation by the officer….
R v Griffiths
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
The defendant was a seller of limes who entered into a conspiracy with seven lime farmers to defraud the Ministry of Agriculture……
R v Thomas – 1985
Example case summary. Last modified: October 5, 2021
A school caretaker was convicted on two counts of indecent assault on female students. The first count concerned an 11-year-old girl’s allegation that the caretaker rubbed the bottom of her skirt and lifted it on two occasions, yet with no witnesses….
R v Ireland and Burstow
Example case summary. Last modified: October 4, 2021
Can psychiatric injury be considered bodily harm, and whether ‘inflicted’ ought be interpreted as requiring physical force. The defendant and victim were engaged in a short romantic relationship, which the victim ended. …
R v Church – 1966
Example case summary. Last modified: September 29, 2021
Mr Church and the victim were in a van for sexual purposes. The victim started mocking him and a fight ensued. He knocked the victim semi-conscious. After his attempts to rouse her proved unsuccessful, he panicked, thought the victim was dead and threw her into the river. …
R v Savage
Example case summary. Last modified: July 3, 2019
The defendant was charged with unlawful and malicious wounding contrary to Offences Against the Person Act 1861, s 20. The defendant had thrown a……
R v Smith – 1974
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
Smith was the tenant of a ground floor flat. With the landlord’s permission, he installed some sound equipment and soundproofing material….
R v Rostron – 2003
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
Both R and C appealed against their conviction. They argued that the golf balls were abandoned by their original owners and, thus, removal……
R v Sullivan [1984] AC 156
Example case summary. Last modified: October 28, 2021
The defendant, a psychomotor epilepsy sufferer, had an epileptic seizure during which he kicked the victim in the head violently. He was charged with causing Grievous Bodily Harm contrary to sections 18 and 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861…
R v St George – 1840
Example case summary. Last modified: June 27, 2019
The Defendant (St. George) got into an argument with the victim, a Mr Durant. During the course of this argument, the Defendant took out a gun and……
R v Ruffel – 1991
Example case summary. Last modified: June 28, 2019
The defendant had thrown an ‘acid house’ party which had attracted thousands of people. The party involved very loud music that continued overnight for some 12……
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