A2 Assessment Page                                                              Law Home Page

Inchoate Offences

OCR, Case scenario

Sandra and Vincent have lived together for five years.  One day, Vincent suddenly tells Sandra that he is leaving her to start a new relationship with Wendy, with whom he has been having an affair.  Sandra is shocked and distressed and goes to see her friend, Ursula.  Ursula has never trusted Vincent and also knows Wendy very well.

Ursula suggests to Sandra that she should take revenge by killing Vincent who is now living in Wendy's flat.  They then agree that, if Sandra can obtain a gun, Ursula will trick Wendy into letting her have a key to the flat.  The plan goes ahead and Ursula give Sandra the spare key she has obtained from Wendy.  In the meantime, Sandra has bought a pistol and some ammunition from Rudi. Unknown to her, the ammunition contains only blank, imitation rounds.

One evening, Ursula invited Wendy out for a meal so that Vincent will be alone in the flat.  Sandra goes round to the flat, lets herself in with the key given her by Ursula and confronts Vincent.  After a brief argument, Sandra produces the pistol from her bag and fires it at Vincent while he has his back turned.  Hearing the loud click, Vincent turns round and says 'What was that?'. By this time, Sandra has hastily thrust the pistol back in her bag and Vincent does not even see it.

Discuss the criminal liability, if any, of Sandra, Ursula and Rudi.