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Steal your own proerty?

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fabtasticbob | 21:50 Fri 16th Dec 2011 | Law
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This is a problem im having in preparation for an exam.

Mary accidentally takes the wrong suitcase home from the airport. The suitcase belongs to John, who realises that his suitcase is missing and contacts the airline. The airline tell him that they know who has his suitcase but cannont collect it for him until next week. John decides to collect it himself.

He calls to Mary's house but when he arrives Mary, who does not know he is coming and has had no contact with John, is not there. The front door is sitting open and there is broken glass on the ground inside and outside the house. It has only just been burgled by Paul, who has since fled the scene. John is obviously unaware of this.

John looks into the house and sees his suitcase in the hall. He steps in and having checked that the suitcase is his, he takes it and leaves, cutting his foot badly on the way out.

My main question is is this theft. And if not, is there anything else he could be prosecuted for?
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That's a tricky one. He couldn't be prosecuted for breaking and entering if the door is open, but he could be charged with trespass, IMO, if he'd not been invited in. I don't think it's theft if you take your own property back, but the legal eagles on here may say otherwise!
Well he COULD be [wrongly] prosecuted (and quite possibly convicted for) criminal damage to the door ad/or burglary (which only requires 'breaking and entering' to take place, even if nothing is taken). Such a prosecution would be based upon DNA evidence from his blood and the false assumption that he had broken into the property.

However if you're simply asking whether he's actually committed any offence, the answer is 'No'. Anyone can lawfully enter another person's property if they don't need to force entry to do so; trespass is only a civil matter, not a criminal one. (There are certain exceptions to that, such as a trespass on railway property, but they're not relevant here).

John certainly hasn't committed theft, since the definition of theft is thus:
"A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it".

The appropriation of the bag is not 'dishonest' because the law states:
"A person’s appropriation of property belonging to another is not to be regarded as dishonest—
(a)if he appropriates the property in the belief that he has in law the right to deprive the other of it, on behalf of himself or of a third person"

Further, the property is not "belonging to another".

http://www.legislatio...g/definition-of-theft

Chris
Question Author
Thanks. The reason I was having doubts was that I was thinking that they could maybe wrangle dishonesty from the trespass. And I was also under the impression that it was possible to steal your own property if it was in the "control or possession of others"

http://e-lawresources.co.uk/R-v-Turner.php

Although maybe the fact that the case above involved lack of payment makes it different?
In the example you cite, the garage had a lien on the customer's car. No such lien exists in relation to John's bag.
Question Author
The more I think of it I get your point. There is simply no dishonesty.
interfering with evidence at a crime scene springs to my mind.

but I'm just guessing.
But can he be certain his suitcase contained his property- what if she was storing her valuables in there?
Your question was whether this is theft. The definition of theft under the Theft Act 1968 is "the dishonest appropriation of property BELONGING TO ANOTHER with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it". The property taken belongs to him, so no technically theft by definition. i don't understand the comment about cutting his foot or how this is relevant....
If you are preparing for an exam though they are not looking for a simple answer like yes it is/no it isn't theft. What level are you studying at?

You need to go through the various elements of the theft act (and any other appropriate legislation) as separate legal elements in their own right and relevant case law as appropriate then apply to the facts.
Question Author
Yeah the paper covers various elements of law so think thats why the broken glass is in there - different section later on. Prob shouldnt have included it but was workin from memory.

Believe it or not they are looking for a yes or no answer. its a very long pain in the arse postgraduate paper
I'm sure they want a yes or no, just in more detail than just yes or no is what I meant :)

What postgrad are you doing? GDL/LPC/BVC? Could make a different to how you answer as they are different to law degree studies.

Have you given you the questions previously then?

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