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{{dablink|For the turning characteristics of land vehicles, see [[Car handling]].}} |
{{dablink|For the turning characteristics of land vehicles, see [[Car handling]].}} |
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In English [[criminal law]], '''handling''' takes place after |
In English [[criminal law]], '''handling stolen goods''' (formerly, under the [[Larceny Act 1916]], known as '''receiving stolen goods''') takes place after a [[theft]] or other dishonest acquisition is completed and may be committed by a [[fence (criminal)|fence]] or other person who helps the thief to realise the value of the stolen goods. |
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==Definition== |
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By Section 22 of the [[Theft Act 1968]]: |
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{{bquote|A person handles stolen goods if (otherwise than in the course of stealing), knowing or believing them to be stolen goods he dishonestly receives the goods, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or if he arranges to do so.<ref name = TA68>{{cite web | url = http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=1204238 | title = Theft Act 1968 | accessdate = 2009-01-27}}</ref>}} |
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⚫ | Prior to the Serious Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCAP), handling stolen goods was |
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==Elements of the offence== |
==Elements of the offence== |
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⚫ | |||
The ''[[mens rea]]'' ([[Latin]] for "guilty mind") test of [[dishonesty]] for undertaking or assisting in the retention, removal, disposal or realisation of stolen goods by or for the benefit of another person, or arranging to do so, is the same as for [[theft]] (see ''R v Ghosh'' 75 Cr App R 154). |
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===Stolen goods=== |
===Stolen goods=== |
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This term means property stolen anywhere, as long as the theft amounted to an offence where committed.<ref name = TA68/> It includes any proceeds of that property, including money for which it has been sold, and anything bought with those proceeds.<ref>by sections 24(2)(a) and (b)</ref> |
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This is property stolen by any of the means criminalised in the Theft Acts, whether by [[robbery]], [[burglary]], deception, [[blackmail]], etc. and includes all the forms of property, both tangible and intangible, protected. This element must be proved separately and, because this offence is committed "otherwise than in the course of stealing", the ''[[actus reus]]'' (the Latin for "guilty act") of the stealing must have been completed before the alleged handler comes into possession. Further, the fact that the accused admits knowledge or belief that the goods were stolen is not sufficient, but such admissions as to how he or she came into possession may prove that the goods were stolen. The fact of stealing is usually proved by [[evidence (law)|evidence]] given by the owner as to the circumstances in which the goods were taken. |
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The accused's ''knowledge'' may be based on what the thief says or some other positive information confirming the fact, but ''belief'' is less than knowledge and more than mere ''suspicion'', being a reasonable conclusion drawn from what the accused does know. If, despite the circumstances, the accused unreasonably refuses to believe that which is obvious, this form of wilful blindness (see [[recklessness (criminal)|recklessness]]) will be treated as a belief that the goods are stolen. Thus, ''suspicion'' will be converted into belief when the facts are so obvious that belief may safely be [[imputation (law)|imputed]]. So if the defendant bought goods in a dark alley for a fraction of their true value and it is clear that identification marks or serial numbers have been erased, any denial of belief by the defendant would not be credible. But, if there is genuine doubt as to the defendant's knowledge or belief, a s1 theft charge is more appropriate, particularly if he or she later discovered that the goods were stolen and dishonestly kept them. |
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However, property which has been returned to the original owner, or otherwise lawful custody, is no longer regarded as stolen, by section 24(3). This may create difficulties, as in [[Haughton v. Smith]]. |
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==[[Attempt]]== |
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⚫ | |||
It is not necessary that the property be "stolen" in a limited sense; Section 24(4) of the Act specifically extends the scope to property obtained by [[fraud]] or [[blackmail]]. However, it is also implicit in the definition of offences such as [[burglary]] or [[robbery]] that handling may apply to the proceeds of these offences. |
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=== Dealing === |
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The offence of handling is drafted widely enough to criminalise any dishonest dealing with property which has been come by dishonestly; for example, the original thief may also be convicted of a subsequent handling if he later arranges its sale.<ref name = E&Q/> A codification of the methods of dealing has been suggested as |
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#receiving stolen goods, |
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#arranging to receive them, |
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#undertaking the keeping, removing, disposing of or realisation of stolen goods by or for the benefit of another person, or helping with any of those things, or |
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#arranging to do any of the things in (3).<ref name = E&Q/> |
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This makes the [[actus reus]] of handling very wide; for example, in R v Kanwar,<ref>[1982] 2 All E R 528, CA 161</ref> a man had brought stolen goods into the marital home, and the his wife, the defendant, had lied to the police; it was held that this constituted "assisting in the retention" of those goods. |
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⚫ | |||
The accused's knowledge or belief as to the nature of the goods is crucial, but has been a constant source of interpretive problems. Either may be based on what the thief says or some other positive information, but belief is less than knowledge and more than mere suspicion. In R v Hall ([1985] 81 Cr App R 260), it was held that, per [[Boreham, J.]], {{bquote|"Belief.. is something short of knowledge. It may be said to be the state of mind of a person who says to himself: "I cannot say I know for certain that these goods are stolen, but there can be no other reasonable conclusion in the light of all the circumstances, in the light of all that I have heard and seen"}} He went on to distinguish the case where a defendant has said {{bquote|"I suspect that these goods may be stolen, but it may be on the other hand that they are not"}}. The situation is further complicated by the concept of recklessness or wilful blindness to the circumstances; either will be treated as a belief that the goods are stolen. Thus, ''suspicion'' will be converted into belief when the facts are so obvious that belief may safely be [[imputation (law)|imputed]]. So if the defendant bought goods in a pub or a dark alley for a fraction of their true value and it is clear that identification marks or serial numbers have been erased, any denial of belief by the defendant would not be credible.{{cn}} |
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⚫ | |||
The ''[[mens rea]]'' of the offence is the same as for [[theft]] (see ''R v Ghosh'' 75 Cr App R 154). |
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==Attempts to handle stolen goods== |
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⚫ | There was at one time an issue of impossibility in that the defendant may be dishonest and intend to handle goods (which he believes to be stolen) but which are not in fact stolen. The [[House of Lords]] ruled in [[Haughton v. Smith]] (1973) that where goods previously stolen have been reduced into lawful possession, not only can they not be handled, but there can be no attempt to handle them. Since then, Section 1 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 confirms that such a defendant can be convicted. |
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==Relationship to laundering== |
==Relationship to laundering== |
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Laundering is now an offence under ss.327/9 and 340(3)(b) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the distinction with handling depends on whether the defendant's intention was to launder the proceeds of crime or merely to assist a thief. Laundering covers large amounts of money in a series of transactions over time when the defendant knows or suspects that the assets which he has concealed, acquired, used, possessed, or in respect of which he has entered into an arrangement which he knows or suspects facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person, are the proceeds of criminal conduct (compare [[money laundering]]). |
Laundering is now an offence under ss.327/9 and 340(3)(b) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the distinction with handling depends on whether the defendant's intention was to launder the proceeds of crime or merely to assist a thief. Laundering covers large amounts of money in a series of transactions over time when the defendant knows or suspects that the assets which he has concealed, acquired, used, possessed, or in respect of which he has entered into an arrangement which he knows or suspects facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person, are the proceeds of criminal conduct (compare [[money laundering]]). |
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== |
==Related offence== |
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Section 23 of the 1968 act creates an offence of "advertising rewards for the return of stolen goods".<ref name = TA68/> This prohibits public advertising for the return of such goods stating that "no questions will be asked", or offering immunity from prosecution to the returned, or stating that any monies paid for the goods will be reimbursed. This is a summary offence but is rarely prosecuted.{{fact}} |
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== Penalties, procedure and jurisdiction == |
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;Jurisdiction |
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⚫ | Prior to the Serious Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCAP), handling stolen goods was an [[hybrid offence|either way offence]] with a maximum term on [[conviction (law)|conviction]] on [[indictment]] of 14 years [[imprisonment]] to represent the potential seriousness of the offence regardless to the monetary value of goods stolen. Any offence committed after the introduction of SOCAP is treated as an arrestable offence. |
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;Procedure |
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The wording of Section 22 actually creates eighteen ways in which handling may be committed,<ref name = E&Q>{{cite book | title = Criminal Law | last = Elliott | first = Catherine | coauthors = Frances Quinn | pages = 160 | publisher = [[Longman]] | isbn = 058242352 | year = 2000}}</ref> This may create a problem for prosecutors in that Rule 7 of the Criminal Procedure Rules 2005,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050384.htm#7 | title = Criminal Procedure Rules 2005 | accessdate = 2007-01-27}}</ref> and Rule 7 of the Indictments Rules 1971 provide that only a single offence may be charged in one information (in the Magistrates' Court) or in one count of an [[indictment]] (in the [[Crown Court]]). It can also be difficult to determine the meaning of "otherwise than in the course of stealing"; it was decided in R v Hale [1979] 1 Crim LR 596<ref>{{cite web | url = http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:ZNOeQWOs3EIJ:www.a-level-law.com/caselibrary/R%2520v%2520HALE%2520%255B1979%255D%25201%2520Crim%2520LR%2520596%2520-%2520CA.doc+appropriation+a+continuing+act+Hale&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk | title = R v Hale | accessdate = 2009-01-27}}</ref> that the "appropriation" in theft may be a continuing act, so it may be difficult to determine whether a theft has been completed. |
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Apart from the apparent difficulties of specifying a charge that does not offend against the rule against duplicity, it has been said that "in practice almost anything a person does with stolen goods may be classified as a handling".<ref name = E&Q/> |
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Section 27(3) of the Theft Act 1968 introduces a rare exception to the rule against admissibility of previous criminal conduct in the case of this offence. Evidence may be adduced (but only if handling is the only charge faced by the defendant) that (a) within the previous twelve months, the defendant has been involved in similar conduct or (b) has a previous conviction for handling within five years.<ref name = TA68/> This is to counter repeated defences of "innocent dealing" as may be put forward by dishonest [[pawnbroker]]s. If the defendant is facing other charges, evidence of previous bad character may be admissible under Section 98 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/theft_acts_incorporating_the_charging_standard/#_Other_Offences_under | title = Theft Acts, Incorporating the Charging Standard, CPS Guidance | accessdate = 2009-01-27}}</ref> |
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;Penalties |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{Wiktionarypar|handling}} |
{{Wiktionarypar|handling}} |
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Revision as of 01:38, 28 January 2009
In English criminal law, handling stolen goods (formerly, under the Larceny Act 1916, known as receiving stolen goods) takes place after a theft or other dishonest acquisition is completed and may be committed by a fence or other person who helps the thief to realise the value of the stolen goods.
Definition
By Section 22 of the Theft Act 1968:
A person handles stolen goods if (otherwise than in the course of stealing), knowing or believing them to be stolen goods he dishonestly receives the goods, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or if he arranges to do so.[1]
Elements of the offence
Stolen goods
This term means property stolen anywhere, as long as the theft amounted to an offence where committed.[1] It includes any proceeds of that property, including money for which it has been sold, and anything bought with those proceeds.[2]
However, property which has been returned to the original owner, or otherwise lawful custody, is no longer regarded as stolen, by section 24(3). This may create difficulties, as in Haughton v. Smith.
It is not necessary that the property be "stolen" in a limited sense; Section 24(4) of the Act specifically extends the scope to property obtained by fraud or blackmail. However, it is also implicit in the definition of offences such as burglary or robbery that handling may apply to the proceeds of these offences.
Dealing
The offence of handling is drafted widely enough to criminalise any dishonest dealing with property which has been come by dishonestly; for example, the original thief may also be convicted of a subsequent handling if he later arranges its sale.[3] A codification of the methods of dealing has been suggested as
- receiving stolen goods,
- arranging to receive them,
- undertaking the keeping, removing, disposing of or realisation of stolen goods by or for the benefit of another person, or helping with any of those things, or
- arranging to do any of the things in (3).[3]
This makes the actus reus of handling very wide; for example, in R v Kanwar,[4] a man had brought stolen goods into the marital home, and the his wife, the defendant, had lied to the police; it was held that this constituted "assisting in the retention" of those goods.
Knowledge or belief
The accused's knowledge or belief as to the nature of the goods is crucial, but has been a constant source of interpretive problems. Either may be based on what the thief says or some other positive information, but belief is less than knowledge and more than mere suspicion. In R v Hall ([1985] 81 Cr App R 260), it was held that, per Boreham, J.,
"Belief.. is something short of knowledge. It may be said to be the state of mind of a person who says to himself: "I cannot say I know for certain that these goods are stolen, but there can be no other reasonable conclusion in the light of all the circumstances, in the light of all that I have heard and seen"
He went on to distinguish the case where a defendant has said
"I suspect that these goods may be stolen, but it may be on the other hand that they are not"
. The situation is further complicated by the concept of recklessness or wilful blindness to the circumstances; either will be treated as a belief that the goods are stolen. Thus, suspicion will be converted into belief when the facts are so obvious that belief may safely be imputed. So if the defendant bought goods in a pub or a dark alley for a fraction of their true value and it is clear that identification marks or serial numbers have been erased, any denial of belief by the defendant would not be credible.[citation needed]
Dishonestly
The mens rea of the offence is the same as for theft (see R v Ghosh 75 Cr App R 154).
Attempts to handle stolen goods
There was at one time an issue of impossibility in that the defendant may be dishonest and intend to handle goods (which he believes to be stolen) but which are not in fact stolen. The House of Lords ruled in Haughton v. Smith (1973) that where goods previously stolen have been reduced into lawful possession, not only can they not be handled, but there can be no attempt to handle them. Since then, Section 1 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 confirms that such a defendant can be convicted.
Relationship to laundering
Laundering is now an offence under ss.327/9 and 340(3)(b) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the distinction with handling depends on whether the defendant's intention was to launder the proceeds of crime or merely to assist a thief. Laundering covers large amounts of money in a series of transactions over time when the defendant knows or suspects that the assets which he has concealed, acquired, used, possessed, or in respect of which he has entered into an arrangement which he knows or suspects facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person, are the proceeds of criminal conduct (compare money laundering).
Related offence
Section 23 of the 1968 act creates an offence of "advertising rewards for the return of stolen goods".[1] This prohibits public advertising for the return of such goods stating that "no questions will be asked", or offering immunity from prosecution to the returned, or stating that any monies paid for the goods will be reimbursed. This is a summary offence but is rarely prosecuted.[citation needed]
Penalties, procedure and jurisdiction
- Jurisdiction
Prior to the Serious Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCAP), handling stolen goods was an either way offence with a maximum term on conviction on indictment of 14 years imprisonment to represent the potential seriousness of the offence regardless to the monetary value of goods stolen. Any offence committed after the introduction of SOCAP is treated as an arrestable offence.
- Procedure
The wording of Section 22 actually creates eighteen ways in which handling may be committed,[3] This may create a problem for prosecutors in that Rule 7 of the Criminal Procedure Rules 2005,[5] and Rule 7 of the Indictments Rules 1971 provide that only a single offence may be charged in one information (in the Magistrates' Court) or in one count of an indictment (in the Crown Court). It can also be difficult to determine the meaning of "otherwise than in the course of stealing"; it was decided in R v Hale [1979] 1 Crim LR 596[6] that the "appropriation" in theft may be a continuing act, so it may be difficult to determine whether a theft has been completed. Apart from the apparent difficulties of specifying a charge that does not offend against the rule against duplicity, it has been said that "in practice almost anything a person does with stolen goods may be classified as a handling".[3]
Section 27(3) of the Theft Act 1968 introduces a rare exception to the rule against admissibility of previous criminal conduct in the case of this offence. Evidence may be adduced (but only if handling is the only charge faced by the defendant) that (a) within the previous twelve months, the defendant has been involved in similar conduct or (b) has a previous conviction for handling within five years.[1] This is to counter repeated defences of "innocent dealing" as may be put forward by dishonest pawnbrokers. If the defendant is facing other charges, evidence of previous bad character may be admissible under Section 98 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.[7]
- Penalties
References
- ^ a b c d "Theft Act 1968". Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ by sections 24(2)(a) and (b)
- ^ a b c d Elliott, Catherine (2000). Criminal Law. Longman. p. 160. ISBN 058242352.
{{cite book}}
: Check|isbn=
value: length (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ [1982] 2 All E R 528, CA 161
- ^ "Criminal Procedure Rules 2005". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
- ^ "R v Hale". Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ "Theft Acts, Incorporating the Charging Standard, CPS Guidance". Retrieved 2009-01-27.