Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018

2 Aggravating factor

(1) This section applies where—

(a) the court is considering for the purposes of sentencing the seriousness of an offence listed in subsection (3), and

(b) the offence was committed against an emergency worker acting in the exercise of functions as such a worker.

(2) The court—

(a) must treat the fact mentioned in subsection (1)(b) as an aggravating factor (that is to say, a factor that increases the seriousness of the offence), and

(b) must state in open court that the offence is so aggravated.

(3) The offences referred to in subsection (1)(a) are—

(a) an offence under any of the following provisions of the Offences against the Person Act 1861—

(i) section 16 (threats to kill);

(ii) section 18 (wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm);

(iii) section 20 (malicious wounding);

(iv) section 23 (administering poison etc);

(v) section 28 (causing bodily injury by gunpowder etc);

(vi) section 29 (using explosive substances etc with intent to cause grievous bodily harm);

(vii) section 47 (assault occasioning actual bodily harm);

(b) an offence under section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (sexual assault);

(c) manslaughter;

(d) kidnapping;

(e) an ancillary offence in relation to any of the preceding offences.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), the circumstances in which an offence is to be taken as committed against a person acting in the exercise of functions as an emergency worker include circumstances where the offence takes place at a time when the person is not at work but is carrying out functions which, if done in work time, would have been in the exercise of functions as an emergency worker.

(5) In this section—

• “ancillary offence”, in relation to an offence, means any of the following—

  (a)

  aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of the offence;

  (b)

  an offence under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (encouraging or assisting crime) in relation to the offence;

  (c)

  attempting or conspiring to commit the offence;

• “emergency worker” has the meaning given by section 3.

(6) Nothing in this section prevents a court from treating the fact mentioned in subsection (1)(b) as an aggravating factor in relation to offences not listed in subsection (3).

(7) This section applies only in relation to offences committed on or after the day it comes into force.