Self-test questions: Non-fatal offences

. Sheila was at a late night party and fell asleep on the settee. Lucy thought it would be funny to sit on Sheila and did so. This woke Sheila up suddenly and caused her great alarm, but no physical injury. What is the law relating to offences against the person that best applies to this situation?

. After a football match the crowd left the stadium. Rhys, a supporter of the home team, shouted at Charlie, a supporter of the away team, 'Your team got done!' Charlie became very angry and picked up a bottle that had been discarded on the ground and threw it at Rhys. Rhys tried to move out of the way. The bottle landed on the ground and smashed. Some pieces of glass flew up and hit Rhys' leg, causing several cuts. When he was arrested, Charlie stated that he only intended to bruise Rhys. What is the law relating to offences against the person that best applies to this situation?

. Lloyd is unhappy that Rhianna has tidied away the TV remote control. He picks up a clock nearby and throws it at Rhianna intending to injure her. Rhianna is holding their baby but drops them when the clock hits her in the head. The baby sustains a fractured arm. Rhianna is badly bruised. What rule of criminal law applies to Lloyd?

. Sophia was in the park sat on a park bench, relaxing. She heard Richard, someone she did not know, behind her say, "I'm about to hurt you!" Richard thought this was a really good practical joke. Sophia was very upset and had thought she was in danger at that moment in time. She suffered no further harm. According to the law on offences against the person, what offence has Richard possibly committed?

. Barney believed Korey had stolen his lunch. Barney called Korey into his office and locked the door. Barney interrogated Korey intensely and Korey believed that Barney would hit him, but he did not. Korey was emotionally upset and generally fearful around people for several days and did not go to work for a week. What is the law on offences against the person that applies to Barney?

. Jordan and Keisha were eating their dinner in front of the television. They disagreed about which programme to watch and Jordan stabbed Keisha in her face with his fork. Her faced was badly scratched and bleeding. It did not cause permanent disfigurement. What is the law relating to offences against the person that applies to Jordan?

. Adrian sent Jessica flowers to her workplace every day for a month. Each bunch of flowers included a card on which he wrote 'I'm watching your every movement even when you are asleep.' Jessica became very distressed by this and worried that Adrian would attack her at any time. The doctor diagnosed her with a psychiatric disorder, which required medication, as a result of the distress caused by Adrian's actions. What is the law relating to offences against the person that best applies to this situation?

. At a crowded festival Roman bumped into a stranger called Jermaine. Jermaine was annoyed and said 'hey don't do that. That is an assault!' On what basis is Jermaine right or wrong?

. On Halloween Leroy dressed in a scary clown mask and jumped out at Cynthia in a car park. It was dark and Cynthia screamed in distress. Leroy thought it was very funny. How does the law on non-fatal offences apply to Leroy?

. Wesley found out that his neighbour, Simon, had been writing grossly offensive and untrue material about him on Twitter. Wesley invited Simon to his house and when Simon arrived he hit him in the legs with a baseball bat. When Simon was lying on the ground, Wesley preceded to break every finger on both his hands. How does the law relating to non-fatal offences apply to Wesley?

. Rita is annoyed when she discovers that her sister Lisa has been in her wardrobe and worn her favourite outfit. Rita sent Lisa a text message that said 'I will kill you for wearing my stuff.' Lisa laughed when she read the text and put the outfit in the wash when she returned home. The incident was forgotten. What is Rita's potential criminal liability for non-fatal offences?

. Fred attended a protest and saw his friend Ashley throw a brick at a shop window, breaking it. As Ashley was about to be arrested by a police officer, Fred hit the officer on the head with a placard he was carrying. The officer was knocked unconscious and suffered from a cracked skull. Fred had not hit the officer hard, however, the officer had a weak skull. What is Fred's potential criminal liability for non-fatal offences?

. Jimmy placed acid in a hand dryer at school and waited for someone to unwittingly switch the machine on. Phil used the machine to dry his hands and face. The acid went into his eyes and blinded him. His vision will never return completely. What is the relevant criminal law principle that applies to Jimmy?

. Charlotte threw a book at her lecturer, Dr Jones, when she learnt that she had received a poor mark for her criminal law essay. The book missed Dr Jones but hit a glass panel that she was standing next to. The glass broke and cut Dr Jones' cheek causing a permanent scar. What is the potential criminal liability of Charlotte?

. Antony was aware that he had contracted HIV. He fell in love with Beatrice, but did not tell her that he had HIV, because he thought that she would leave him. He had unprotected sexual intercourse with Beatrice and she later discovered that she had contracted HIV from Anthony. What is the legal position in respect of non-fatal offences that applies to Anthony?

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