Recklessly Causing Grievous Bodily Harm

Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm is an offence our criminal lawyers take seriously. Grievous bodily harm is the most serious kind of injury a person can suffer short of death. It includes paraplegia, quadriplegia and vegetative states as well as broken bones, disfigurement and other permanent injuries.

Ways our criminal lawyers often beat the charges of Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm is by arguing the injury is not serious enough to be considered grievous bodily harm, or by raising self-defence.

How do I beat a charge of Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm?

You will be found not guilty of the offence of Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm if the police cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt:

  1. You caused grievous bodily harm to any person. Grievous bodily harm is “really serious harm” and includes:
    • The destruction (other than in the course of a medical procedure) of the foetus of a pregnant woman, whether or not the woman suffers any other harm, and
    • Any permanent or serious disfiguring of the person, and
    • Any grievous bodily disease.
  2. You are reckless as to causing actual bodily harm to that or any other person. Recklessness will be established if is proven beyond reasonable doubt you foresaw the likelihood of actual bodily harm being inflicted and ignored the risk. 

Defences available include: self-defence.

Pleading guilty to Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm

If you committed the offence and the police can prove so, we want to get you a better result than anyone else. We will often negotiate with prosecutors for you to plead guilty to less serious facts, or even a less serious charge, so that you get a lighter sentence.

Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment in the District Court and two years imprisonment in the Local Court. Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm is an extremely serious criminal offence and if you are charged with this offence you should contact our office immediately.

Our criminal defence lawyers are experts at getting clients section 10 no convictions when they choose to plead guilty.  This means no criminal record.

Do I need references?

Good character references can help reduce your sentence.  That’s why we believe references are an extremely important part of a plea of guilty in court.   

Character references are generally tendered without question, and almost always affect the severity of any applicable penalty, often to a marked degree.  References are a golden opportunity to impress upon the court what a marvelous, hardworking, family and community orientated person you are.

Why choose Australian Criminal Law Group?

Our criminal lawyers are experts at obtaining the best outcome possible for Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm offences. For these offences, a good lawyer can be the difference between a conviction and no criminal record and freedom or jail. 

To discuss your charge of Recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, call Australian Criminal Law Group at our Sydney, Parramatta, and Blacktown offices or make a website inquiry today.

 

Case study

Australian Criminal Law Group represented a man charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after he stabbed 3 people in a park following being assaulted himself at a train station. After getting him bail in the Supreme Court we negotiated pleas of guilty to charges of reckless wounding instead of Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was sentenced in the Local Court and the Magistrate gave him an Intensive Correction order and did not send him to jail.

Case study

Australian Criminal Law Group represented a young man charged with Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He had stabbed his stepfather in the neck with a pair of scissors. Criminal lawyer Joe Correy argued that the act was impulsive in response to a domestic argument. The young man had not intended to seriously harm his stepfather. The police accepted a reckless wounding charge and our client received a good behaviour bond.

Case study

Joseph represented a man charged with grievous bodily harm after throwing a glass and striking a police officer during a brawl. Joseph was able to negotiate the charge to reckless wounding, a significantly less serious charge. Joseph presented a strong case on sentence and his client received a good behaviour bond.

Case study

Australian Criminal law Group appealed the sentence of a client who had been originally charged with Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. In the company of another person, he had slashed a person’s face with a box cutter. On appeal, which was to a reckless wounding after negotiations with the DPP, it was argued the act of slashing at the victim was excessive self-defence. The Judge agreed and our client was released from jail that day.

Case study

Australian Criminal Law Group represented a person charged with robbery in company inflicting grievous bodily harm and intentionally inflict grievous bodily harm. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment. He had a substantial criminal record and was facing many years in jail if sentenced for those charges. The Crown prosecutor was convinced to accept a plea of guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm and the client received a 2-year sentence with a 12-month non-parole period.

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