Section 18 Assault, also known as Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), is a serious form of assault that can be committed under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. It refers to an offence described as either "wounding with intent" or "causing grievous bodily harm with intent". The key features of Section 18 Assault are:
- The defendant intends to cause harm to any person and commits said harm.
- The offence must include wounding with intent or with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
- It is the most serious form of assault that can be committed, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
To be charged with Section 18 Assault, a defendant may have launched a repeat or planned attack, deliberately selected weapons or adapted an article to cause injury, or made prior threats. It is important to seek legal advice as soon as any accusation of an assault charge has been made against you. If there is sufficient evidence to prove that the defendant did not intend to cause serious harm during the incident that led to the charge, the offence may be changed to Section 20 Assault, which carries a lesser maximum sentence.
