Self-test questions: General defences

. Theo worked as a bar steward in a hotel. One night he had stayed after hours, playing poker with Bruce, a patron of the hotel. By the end of the evening, Theo had lost all his money and owed Bruce £1,000. Bruce told him, if he did not pay him the £1,000 by the end of the following evening he would break his legs.

Theo, using keys he had as a steward, went in Gladys' room and took a necklace. He received £1,500 from the pawn broker and paid Bruce the £1,000 he owed. What is the criminal law on general defences that applies to Theo?

. Ingrid and Delilah are stranded at sea after their boat was wrecked in turbulent seas. They are sat on a piece of driftwood, but realise that it cannot hold both of them for much longer before it breaks. In this event they will both die. Delilah decides to take action and pushes Ingrid off the driftwood knowing she will drown in the ocean, which she does. Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the correct principle of law that applies to Delilah?

. Sarah had a nervous disposition with a long-standing fear of being murdered in her home. Gerard, her elderly neighbour, mistakenly forced the door to her house open late one evening when he was returning from the pub. Believing she was about to be attacked, Sarah hit Gerard several times with a golf club that was in the hall way. Gerard died as a result of his injuries. What is the criminal law on general defences that applies to Sarah?

. Ronnie orders Dushane to steal £150 from Shelley's handbag which is under a table. Ronnie threatens to tell Dushane's family that Dushane is a paedophile (which he is not) and to kill his cat if he does not do it. Dushane steals the money and Shelley only realises the money is missing when she returns home. What is the law on criminal defences that applies to Dushane?

. To successfully apply the defence of self-defence, what level is force is required and whose perspective is this judged by?

. Fin joined a gang that he knew stole from shops and frightened members of the public for fun. He was asked by the gang leader, Jam, to steal cans of beer from the local off licence. Failure to do so would lead to a violent attack on Fin by the other gang members. Fin was caught outside the off licence with 10 cans of beer in his rucksack. Which of the following statements is most accurate that relates to his criminal liability?

. Doris was heavily pregnant when Lucy, aged 15, told her to purchase alcohol for her and her friends otherwise she would attack her pregnant body with a knife. Despite Lucy being of a small build and Doris being much larger, Doris bought the alcohol. Which of the following statements most accurately reflects Doris' criminal liability?

. Mike witnessed Prince steal a purse out of Sara's handbag in the street and chased him. He caught up with Prince and had him in a head-lock whilst calling to an onlooker to call the police. Fred had not seen the chase, but saw Mike holding Prince in a head lock. He believed that Mike was assaulting Fred, who was a much smaller build than Mike, and Fred punched Mike in the face in an attempt to assist Prince. Which of the following statements most accurately applies to Fred's criminal liability?

. Which of the following traits cannot be taken into account when determining whether the defendant responded as a person of reasonable firmness would have for the purposes of duress?

. Jess was angry at her sister Mia for using her expensive make-up. Jess said to Mia that if she didn't go out and steal some new make up for her, she would cut Mia's wedding dress into tiny little pieces. Mia steals the make-up but is caught and arrested. What statement most accurately conveys the criminal liability of Mia?

. Horace is at a protest and sees Ivan looking in his rucksack. A few moments before, several protesters had thrown broken bits of brick at shop windows. Horace assumed that Ivan was getting a brick to throw at a nearby shop front, and he tackled Ivan to the ground and then hit him with his fists several times as hard as he could. Ivan was concussed and needed several stiches to his head, arms and body. Ivan did not have any heavy items in his rucksack. What is the most relevant principle relating to general defences that applies to Horace?

. Harry had been drinking a large amount of alcohol on a night out with friends. He walked home as he had lost his phone. He walked past Peter, who was homeless. Peter put out his arm and asked Harry if he had any money he could spare him. Harry mistakenly thought Peter was about to attack him and thinking he was protecting himself he tackled Peter to the ground and hit him several times. Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the law governing self-defence that applies to Harry?

. Eric had subjected his wife Rita to a campaign of domestic abuse for several years. He strangled Rita, but released her before she became unconscious. As he left the room he told her there will be more of that behaviour to come. Clearly distressed and not knowing when Eric would return to attack her, Rita grabbed a vase off a table and ran after him. She hit him many times over the head, until he fell to the ground. He was bleeding profusely from the head and suffered damage to the brain that made day-to-day life difficult without the support of a carer. Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the criminal liability of Rita?

. Shyla, aged 16, is petrified of Gustav, her mother's boyfriend. He demands that she steal £500 from her workplace otherwise he will break all her mother's fingers. She does as she is told. Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the law relating to principles of general defences?

. Scarlett had been going out with Darren, but they had broken up the day before her birthday, because he had a new girlfriend Felicity. At her party the next day, Darren turned up and they had a verbal argument. Angry, Scarlett threw the contents of her drink at Darren. Darren then slapped her around the face and grabbed her the arms to shake her. Seeking to get free, Scarlett hit Darren in the face with the glass that once contained her drink. He had a heavily bruised eye. Which is the most accurate statement relating to the law on self-defence as it applies to Scarlett?

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