Criminal Damage and Arson

What the page covers

The resources follow the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Several flashcard decks and mind maps set out the basic offence in section 1(1): destroying or damaging property belonging to another, intentionally or recklessly, without lawful excuse. Others deal with the aggravated offence in section 1(2) and with arson under section 1(3).

Where to start

Begin with the flashcard deck The Basic Offence. It states the section 1(1) offence and breaks it into parts. Then open the mind map Basic Criminal Damage - s.1 (1) CRIMINAL DAMAGE ACT 1971 to see the same structure laid out visually. The deck Without Lawful Excuse is a useful next step for the defence side.

Moving on to aggravation and arson

1. Read Aggravated Criminal Damage - s.1 (2) CRIMINAL DAMAGE ACT 1971 to see how it differs from the basic offence.
2. Open Arson - s.1 (3) CRIMINAL DAMAGE ACT 1971. It explains that the defendant must commit the basic offence, with the damage caused by fire.
3. Use the deck CRIMINAL DAMAGE BY ARSON to fix the key points.

Using quizzes with maps

Read a map first, then try a quiz. Basic Criminal Damage Cases asks you to fill in the case names behind the rules, such as Gayford v Chouler on what counts as damage and Roe v Kingerlee. Arson Cases Questions and Aggravated Criminal Damage Case Questions do the same for the other two offences. If an answer slips, go back to the map and the matching flashcards.

Where this unit sits

This unit belongs to the strand Property, Financial and Public Order Offences within Criminal law. The Recklessness (Criminal Damage) mind map links it to the mental element, and some resources mention A-level Law.

Choose one resource, work through it, then make your own maps and flashcards to match your course.