Reference no: EM131037165 , Length: word count:1000

QUESTION: Assume the following facts:-

Chay Blade is 18. He lives with his mother in a small unit in Hamilton, NSW. He has been using heroin for the last three years. In recent weeks his use of the drug has increased substantially, to the point where he is now injecting daily. As he is unemployed, he has increasingly been relying on petty crime to finance his habit. He is well-known to police, but at this stage has not been formally charged with any offences.

On the 14th of April of this year, Chay's mother (Amanda) returned from shopping to find Chay is a highly agitated state. He demanded money from her. She protested that she had no money to give him. Chay, enraged, then grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the car, demanding that they go to an automatic teller machine to take money out.

Shaking with fear, Amanda got into the car, while Chay then drove to the nearest ATM. Chay waited in the car while Amanda went to the ATM to make a cash withdrawal. She found that she had no money in the account, and reluctantly returned to the car and explained to Chay there was no money and that she was sorry.

Chay remained silent as they drove, and then exploded with rage, yelling at his mother, "you fucking bitch, you lied to me! You've always got money! Give it to me!"

She screamed back that she did not have any.

Chay screamed back, "you wait till we get home - I'll show what it means to lie to me you dog!"

Moments later, Amanda opened the door to the car and threw herself out of the car. She rolled multiple times across the road and came to rest in the gutter. A passing motorist stopped their car to assist, and called the police. An ambulance arrived soon after.

Amanda was subsequently admitted to John Hunter Hospital, where medical reports indicated she was suffering from multiple skin lacerations, bruising, and a fractured collar bone that required pins to stabilise.

Chay was arrested the following day.

Using the legal problem solving grids provided, analyse the two primary offences with which Chay could be charged arising from the events described. If there are lesser alternative offences, briefly outline these offences in the same grid as the primary offence. Is there any additional intervention available apart from the criminal charges? If so, explain what it is and the relevant source of law.