GBH

Question 1

What does Grievous bodily harm mean?

Answer 1

Grievous bodily harm means really serious harm, as established in R v Saunders.

Question 2

What happens when deciding whether the harm is serious?

Answer 2

When deciding whether the harm is serious, the severity of the injury must be assessed in the context of the victim’s age and health, as confirmed in R v Bollom.

Question 3

Can serious psychiatric injury amount to GBH?

Answer 3

The courts have also recognised that serious psychiatric injury may amount to grievous bodily harm, as held in R v Burstow.

Question 4

Can infecting someone with a serious disease amount to GBH?

Answer 4

Additionally, infecting someone with a serious disease such as HIV can amount to grievous bodily harm, as established in R v Dica.