Offences Against the Person

Ackroyd Legal is a leading London law firm with a dedicated team of criminal defence solicitors. We will examine the evidence and advise upon the strength of the case against you; and work with you to build the strongest possible defence with the aim of achieving the most favourable outcome. Please contact us as soon as you are aware of an allegation against you relating to any one of the offences against the person, and we will be able to help you.

Offences against the person refer to a group of criminal offences that are committed against somebody else. Most offences within this category can be subject to trial by jury, with the likelihood of a custodial sentence if you are found guilty, so it is essential to have skilled and experienced legal representation if you are facing questioning or criminal charges over alleged involvement in any type of offence against the person, as this can have a serious impact on you and your family.

What is Residential Conveyancing?

Speak to a Solicitor

Speak to a solicitor

property guides

Common assault is a criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

Common assault arises when someone intentionally or due to recklessness, causes harm or violence to someone else. A threat of violence may still be sufficient to give rise to a charge of common assault. If you are charged with common assault, or if you are facing questioning by the police, it is essential to have skilled, experienced legal representation and the criminal defence solicitors at Ackroyd Legal can provide the advice and support that you need. We will examine the evidence and advise you on the strength of the case being brought against you, and explain the best course of action in all of the circumstances.

Our expert team of criminal defence solicitors have many years’ combined experience and can provide legal advice and representation with a view to achieving the most favourable outcome. We will also work tirelessly to mitigate the impact that a charge of common assault can have upon you and your loved ones.

Actual bodily harm (ABH) is a violent crime that causes harm to another person. Although the harm inflicted in a case of ABH is considered insufficient to warrant a charge of grievous bodily harm (GBH), the law nonetheless regards this to be a serious criminal offence that in some cases will carry a prison sentence of up to five years. It is therefore essential to seek specialist legal representation immediately if you are facing an investigation or police questioning, and our team of criminal defence solicitors can provide the advice and representation that you need.

If you are facing a charge of actual bodily harm, having the right legal advice and representation can make a real and tangible difference to the outcome of your case. We will assess all of the evidence and advise you on the strength of the claims being made against you, and work with you to build the strongest possible defence, taking all possible mitigating factors into account. For example if you were acting in self-defence, there may in fact be no case to answer, or you may face a lesser charge based on the evidence. Whatever the situation, we will provide sound advice and robust representation when you need it most.

Grievous bodily harm (GBH) is considered to be a very serious criminal offence, in which significant harm is intentionally inflicted upon another person. GBH carries a custodial sentence and if you are charged, this could have a significant effect on your life, your family and possibly your career. If you are facing police questioning over your involvement in an incident which could give rise to a charge of GBH, it is essential to have competent and experienced legal representation at outset, and we can provide the right advice and support when you need it.

If you are charged with GBH, the prosecution will mainly be concerned with two aspects:

Ackroyd Legal is a leading London law firm, and our dedicated team of criminal defence solicitors have many years’ experience in this area. If you are facing a charge of GBH, having the right legal advice and representation can make a real and tangible difference to the outcome of your case. We will carefully examine all of the evidence and advise you on the strength of the case being brought against you; and work with you to build the strongest possible defence, taking all mitigating factors into account. For example, if you were acting in self-defence, we will fight on your behalf for a lesser charge to be brought, such as to reduce the charge to one of actual bodily harm (ABH), based on the evidence. Whatever the situation, we will provide sound advice and robust representation when you need it most, with a view to achieving the best possible outcome.

Manslaughter involves the killing of another person, and although this is considered to be a lesser offence than murder, it is still potentially a very serious crime that will often carry a prison sentence. It is vital to have skilled and experienced legal advice and representation if you are facing police questioning in connection with the death of someone else, regardless of how or why this occurred. Our criminal defence solicitors will provide sound legal advice and robust representation from outset. We will gather all available evidence and testimonies and examine all of the potentially mitigating factors, in order to build and present the strongest possible defence.

Manslaughter can arise when a person causes the death of someone else without premeditation. Voluntary manslaughter means that there was an intention to kill or seriously injure, however the defendant was affected by a loss of self-control, for example in committing a crime of passion; or by an abnormality of mental functioning. If one of these defences cannot be applied, this may result in a conviction for murder.

Involuntary manslaughter means that the defendant was responsible for the death, although without the element of intention. A charge of involuntary manslaughter may arise if someone causes the death of another person due to gross negligence, recklessness or a dangerous, unlawful act. Corporate manslaughter may also occur if there is a breach of the duty of care that leads to death.

The difference between a conviction for murder and one for the lesser offence of manslaughter is very significant, because murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. It is therefore essential to have the right legal representation from outset, in order to maximise the chances of the right outcome. The experienced criminal defence solicitors at Ackroyd Legal will be able to help you; and it is likely that we will have encountered a similar situation before and we will work tirelessly with the aim of achieving the best possible outcome.

Murder is defined as the unlawful killing of another person with ‘malice aforethought,’ or the intention to kill or to do very serious harm. In practice, most killings of other humans will be considered unlawful, although there are certain exceptions, for example for police officers who are acting in the line of duty. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence in English law, and a person who is charged with murder will face trial by jury.

When a person is unlawfully killed, this will be a very serious offence, the gravity of which will depend on the circumstances of the case. Although every situation is unique, a key factor in many murder cases will be all about the element of intention.

If you are aware of an allegation or a police investigation, or if you are to face questioning by the police in relation to a murder inquiry, it is absolutely essential to have expert legal representation from the very start, and the criminal defence solicitors at Ackroyd Legal will be able to advise and support you during the police interview and at every stage thereafter. We will review all of the evidence against you, and provide clear, straightforward advice on the strength of the case being made against you. We will gather all the relevant evidence and testimonies in order to build and present the strongest possible defence, examining all potential mitigating factors, for example if you were acting in self-defence, or if circumstances exist that may result in the lesser charge of manslaughter. We will also instruct specialist barristers to advocate on your behalf when the matter is brought before the court.

Because murder is a very serious charge carrying a sentence of life imprisonment, it is essential to have skilled, experienced and competent legal representation, as this really can make a difference to the outcome, as well as to the process itself. Our specialist criminal defence solicitors have diverse experience in this area, and will leave no stone unturned in handling your defence, with a view to achieving the best possible outcome for you and your family.