Key Cases - Murder and Voluntary Manslaughter

R v Jordan (1956): Wrong administration of drug in hospital was a new intervening act.

R v Smith (1959): Clumsy and inappropriate treatment or a soldier following a stabbing did not break the chain of causation.

R v Cheshire (1991): The victim, whose wounds were no longer life-threatening, died as a result of unusual complications; there was no break in the chain of causation.

R v Roberts (1971): Victim jumped from moving car to avoid sexual advances; chain of causation was not broken.

R v Williams (1991): Victim broke the chain of causation because his reaction was unreasonable.

R v Vickers (1957): Vicious attack on an old lady was enough intention to murder.

R v Moloney (1985): Defendant killed his stepfather in a drunken game; nothing less than the actual intention to kill or cause serious harm should be the Mens Rea in murder.

R v Hancock and Shankland (1986): Striking miners dropped concrete blocks into the path of a taxi, killing its driver; foresight of the consequences may amount to intention, but it is up to the jury.

R v Nedrick (1986): A child died in a fire caused by the defendant; the jury should ask itself two questions; if the answer to both is ‘yes’, then it may infer the probable intention.

R v Woollin (1998): The defendant killed his baby son in a…