Crime XXXXXXXIX – Assault I

Assault is defined as the act of intentionally or recklessly causing the victim to apprehend immediate and unlawful violence i.e. it is an offence that can be committed intentionally or an offence that can be committed without giving due thought to the impact that it would have on the victim.

Assault per se does not involve physical contact i.e. the defendant does not have to a lay a finger on the victim. It suffices that the conduct of the defendant (by words or actions) has put the victim in fear of his or her life. However in order to successfully convict for assault the prosecution also needs to establish that:-

1.     the defendant had sufficient capacity or ability to carry out the threat and

2.     the defendant showed  a willingness to carry out the threat.

As per s39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 - Common assault and battery shall be summary offences and a person guilty of either of them shall be liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both.

Summary offences are offences that are dealt with by the magistrates’ court and are governed by Part 37, Criminal Procedure Rules 2010 and does not require trial by jury i.e. a magistrate can determine what constitutes an assault and what doesn’t.

Is verbal abuse sufficient to constitute an assault? Verbal abuse is defined as inappropriate and improper use of language to undermine someone’s dignity and language which causes another person to suffer from or to succumb to profound and serious psychological injury.

Under normal circumstances in order to convict for assault the defendant needs to display a willingness to carry out the threat, without which the victim would not be successful but the law is changing and humiliating a person with the intention of making him or her feel inferior especially in public may constitute an assault especially if there is medical evidence that suggests that the victim was emotionally scarred because of being repeatedly subjected to verbal abuse.

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