Assault

In 1976 a drunk walked into a supermarket. When the manager asked him to leave, the drunk assaulted him, knocking out a tooth. A policeman who arrived and tried to stop the fight had his jaw broken. The drunk was fined 10 pounds.

Shop-lifting

In June 1980 Lady Isabel Barnett, a well-known TV personality was convicted of stealing a tin of tuna fish and a carton of cream, total value 87p, from a small shop. The case was given enormous publicity. She was fined 75 pounds and had to pay 200 pounds towards the cost of the case. A few days later she killed herself.

Fraud

This is an example of a civil case rather than a criminal one. A man had taken out an insurance policy of 100,000 pounds on his life. The policy was due to expire at 3 o’clock on a certain day. The man was in serious financial difficulties, and at 2.30 on the expiry day he consulted his solicitor. He then went out and called a taxi. He asked the driver to make a note of the time, 2.50. He then shot himself. Suicide used not to cancel an insurance policy automatically. (It does nowadays). The company refused to pay the man’s life, and the court supported them.

Ex. 7. Read the following newspaper headlines and decide what crime has been committed. Discuss in pairs.

PENSIONER ATTACKED AND ROBBED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT		Three injured in bank hold up
Child run over by drunk driver		YOUTH DESTROY TOWN HALL
Teens Beaten up at Rock Concert		28 Cars Stolen over Weekend

Ex. 8. Read the newspaper report and put the jumbled paragraphs in order.

Rioting in Bracknel Continuous

 At daybreak on Monday morning, prisoners gathered on the roof and, using a loud hailer, said that woudn’t surrender until demands for better conditions were not met. These include upgraded facilities and amend to overcrowding, a problem affecting an increasing number of British prisons.

 The trouble began shortly after 8 o’clock when several prisoners locked themselves into the canteen after the evening meal had been serverd. Within hours, the rioting had spread to other sections of the prison, and by Sunday morning prisoners had comleted control over the prison. Prison wardens were forced to retreat to the other section of the prison building and described the situation inside the prison as “complete anarchy.”

 As rioting enters its third day, prison authorities were still refusing to negotiate with prisoners, saying, “While prisoners are still in control of the prison there is no question of any negotiating taking place. We will not be subjected to this kind of blackmail.” Prisoners seem equally determined to start their ground and the situation looks sad to continue until their demands are met.

 Prison staff in Bershire were on full alert yesterday after riots broke out in Bracknell prison on Saturday night.