Sexual Offences Act 2003

Valid from 12/02/2007

[F1 60A Forfeiture of land vehicle, ship or aircraft E+W+N.I.

(1) This section applies if a person is convicted on indictment of an offence under sections 57 to 59.

(2) The court may order the forfeiture of a land vehicle used or intended to be used in connection with the offence if the convicted person—

(a) owned the vehicle at the time the offence was committed;

(b) was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which owned the vehicle;

(c) was at that time in possession of the vehicle under a hire-purchase agreement;

(d) was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which was in possession of the vehicle under a hire-purchase agreement; or

(e) was driving the vehicle in the course of the commission of the offence.

(3) The court may order the forfeiture of a ship or aircraft used or intended to be used in connection with the offence if the convicted person—

(a) owned the ship or aircraft at the time the offence was committed;

(b) was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which owned the ship or aircraft;

(c) was at that time in possession of the ship or aircraft under a hire-purchase agreement;

(d) was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which was in possession of the ship or aircraft under a hire-purchase agreement;

(e) was at that time a charterer of the ship or aircraft; or

(f) committed the offence while acting as captain of the ship or aircraft.

(4) But in a case to which subsection (3)(a) or (b) does not apply, forfeiture may be ordered only—

(a) in the case of a ship, if subsection (5) or (6) applies;

(b) in the case of an aircraft, if subsection (5) or (7) applies.

(5) This subsection applies where a person who, at the time the offence was committed, owned the ship or aircraft or was a director, secretary or manager of a company which owned it, knew or ought to have known of the intention to use it in the course of the commission of an offence under sections 57 to 59.

(6) This subsection applies where a ship's gross tonnage is less than 500 tons.

(7) This subsection applies where the maximum weight at which an aircraft (which is not a hovercraft) may take off in accordance with its certificate of airworthiness is less than 5,700 kilogrammes.

(8) Where a person who claims to have an interest in a land vehicle, ship or aircraft applies to a court to make representations on the question of forfeiture, the court may not make an order under this section in respect of the vehicle, ship or aircraft unless the person has been given an opportunity to make representations.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 60A-60C inserted (E.W.N.I.) (12.2.2007) by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38), ss. 54, 66(2), Sch. 4 para. 2; S.I. 2007/74, art. 2(b)