Regina v Steer: HL 2 Jul 1986

The respondent went to the house of a partner with whom he had a dispute, and fired three shots into the house. Nobody was injured. He had successfully appealed a conviction for criminal damage being reckless as to whether somebody else’s life should be endangered, having argued that any threat to life did not arise from the damages caused by the shot.
Held: The prosecutor’s appeal failed. The prosecution were required to prove that the danger to life resulted from the destruction of or damage to property; it is not sufficient for the prosecution to prove that it resulted from the act of the defendant which caused the destruction or damage.

Lord Bridge of Harwich, Lord Griffiths, Lord Ackner, Lord Oliver of Aylmerton, Lord Goff of Chieveley
[1986] UKHL 6, [1987] 2 All ER 833, [1988] AC 111, [1987] 3 WLR 205
Bailii
Criminal Damage Act 1971 1(2)(b)
England and Wales

Crime

Leading Case

Updated: 09 November 2021; Ref: scu.248699