UK CRIMINAL LAWYER : SERIOUS ASSAULT CHARGE GBH ABH

If you are being investigated by the police who are considering a serious assault charge you will need the help of an expert UK criminal lawyer to ensure fair treatment. It is in your interest to be represented by a specialist who will give you clear advice on your legal rights. If you would like to talk to an experienced lawyer with no charge just use the help line. If after talking to us you decide not to take matters further you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged anything at all.

The Victorian legislation of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 originally provided the bulk of the statutory offences relating to violence used against another person:-

Section 42 Common Assault:-
This offence is committed either when someone is put in fear of unlawful violence or when there is an unlawful application of force to another person. There need be no visible signs of injury and if the police do prosecute it is not usually a serious assault charge. It should not necessary to be represented in court by a UK criminal lawyer.

Section S47 Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (ABH):-
This assault may or may not include actual contact with the victim however the victim must suffer injury as a result of the aggressors actions. This offence usually involves a visible injury (ABH) and accounts for the majority of charges of assault heard by the magistrates courts.

Section 20 Maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm; malicious wounding (GBH):-
This offence is concerned with maliciously wounding or inflicting any grievous bodily harm upon another person without lawful excuse. Generally speaking the injuries are substantially more severe than those used as evidence in a s.47 assault. This is a very serious assault charge and it is advisable to be represented by a UK criminal lawyer.

Section 18 Wounding with intent:-
This offence requires that wounding or grievous bodily harm occur (as in s.20) and that the perpetrator intends to would or cause GBH, or intends to resist arrest. This offence is usually charged when the offender uses a weapon to inflict injuries. Unlike s.18 assaults, these offences require specific intent to wound or to cause GBH or to resist arrest. This offence is the most serious covered by the The Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and offenders are subject to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A defendant charged under s.18 can be convicted of a s.20 or s.47 assault if the specific intent is not strong enough to prove a s.18 assault.

Murder:-
Murder is the offence of killing a person with intent to kill or to cause grievous bodily harm. The penalty is a mandatory life sentence and murderers are only released from prison when they have served a period (currently known as the ‘tariff’) considered necessary to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence and when they are no longer a risk to society.






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