- After they meet at a party, Christina becomes “friends” with Adam on Facebook. Over the next few weeks, they send each other flirtatious messages on Facebook. Encouraged by this, Adam decides to ask Christina if she would go on a date with him. Christina rejects Adam’s offer of a date and tells him that she is not interested in him romantically. Confused by Christina’s flirtatious behaviour and rejection, and feeling angry and used, Adam starts sending Christina threatening messages on Facebook. After receiving several threatening and abusive messages from Adam over the course of two weeks, Christina suffers an anxiety disorder.
Christina’s friends decide to take her out to cheer her up. However, on the night out with her friends, Christina runs into Adam in a nightclub. Adam is delighted to see Christina and he starts dancing with her before touching her on the back. Christina is frightened at seeing Adam and dislikes his touching. She pushes him away and Adam stumbles backwards and falls to the floor, but is not injured.
The following day, Adam meets up with his friends and they go out paintballing. As a joke, Adam’s friends decide to gang up against him and they all target him by shooting him with paintballs. One of his friends, Matt, shoots paintballs at Adam’s back at close range, causing severe bruises.
Discuss the criminal liability of the parties.
- Critically evaluate the Law Commission’s recommendations for reforming the framework of homicide offences.
