Robbery
S8 provides:
(1)A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in
order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then
and there subjected to force.
(2)A person guilty of robbery, or of an assault with intent to rob, shall on conviction on indictment be
liable to imprisonment for life.
AR of Robbery:
1. Theft; (dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention to
permanently deprive)
2. Use of force on any person/putting or seeking to put person in fear of force;
3. Immediately before or at the time of the theft;
4. In order to steal.
MR of Robbery:
Requires proof of:
1. D intended to steal and;
2. D intended to use force on a person or to put a person in fear of force in order to steal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AR – Theft:
1. The requirement of theft
No liability for robbery if there is no theft.
If one of the elements of theft is missing – e.g D was not dishonest – there can be no robbery.
R v Robinson 1977:
The defendant was owed £7 by a woman.
He approached the woman’s husband brandishing a knife, and a fight
ensued during which the woman’s husband dropped a £5 note.
The defendant picked up the £5 note and demanded the remaining £2
owed to him.
S8 provides:
(1)A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in
order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then
and there subjected to force.
(2)A person guilty of robbery, or of an assault with intent to rob, shall on conviction on indictment be
liable to imprisonment for life.
AR of Robbery:
1. Theft; (dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention to
permanently deprive)
2. Use of force on any person/putting or seeking to put person in fear of force;
3. Immediately before or at the time of the theft;
4. In order to steal.
MR of Robbery:
Requires proof of:
1. D intended to steal and;
2. D intended to use force on a person or to put a person in fear of force in order to steal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AR – Theft:
1. The requirement of theft
No liability for robbery if there is no theft.
If one of the elements of theft is missing – e.g D was not dishonest – there can be no robbery.
R v Robinson 1977:
The defendant was owed £7 by a woman.
He approached the woman’s husband brandishing a knife, and a fight
ensued during which the woman’s husband dropped a £5 note.
The defendant picked up the £5 note and demanded the remaining £2
owed to him.
