CJ1206 Criminal Justice in Action Assignment Guidance

Assessment Brief

For this assessment, you will apply the steps of sentencing to the case study below. Your assessment will provide an overview of the defendant and the offence committed as well as the aggravating and mitigating factors. Then you will use the relevant Sentencing Council guidelines to decide on a sentence and provide reasons for the chosen sentence.  

Your report should also consider the nature and seriousness of the offence, the court process it will have followed including who presided over the case and the reasons why sentencing guidelines exist.  

Case facts:  

The offence: Owner or person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place, injuring any person (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (section 3(1)). 

Paul Jones (19) is in his local park with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier (not a prohibited type). The dog is not on a lead and Paul is throwing a stick for it to fetch. The park is quite busy with other members of the public and as one family with a small child on a scooter passes nearby, the dog runs towards the family bearing his teeth. The dog grabs hold of the child’s arm in his mouth puncturing the flesh with his teeth and shaking his head vigorously. Despite the parents’ attempts to get the dog away from their child, the dog does not relinquish his grip on the child’s arm until Paul, having run to the scene, drags him away. An ambulance is called and the 4-year-old girl requires hospital treatment for three separate wounds on her arm which are almost certain to result in permanent scarring and nerve damage. The parents of the child are visibly distressed by the incident and have not visited a park since. Their daughter is still receiving outpatient hospital treatment, is petrified of all dogs and does not want to play outside. 

Paul has no previous convictions relating to dangerous dog offences but has two previous convictions for public order offences in the last 2 years both resulting in fines. The court hears that Paul has had the dog for 12 months, but there have been recent complaints about the dog, including concerns of aggression and lunging made by neighbours to the council dog warden. Paul pleads guilty on the first day of trial and has been on bail for since the offence seven months ago. Paul is a self-employed painter and decorator and helps run a youth community football team in his spare time. 

Word Limit: 1,000 words (excluding bibliography and in-text citations) 

CJ1206 Module Learning Outcomes  

On successful completion of this module, a student will be able to:  

• Identify the roles and duties of key personnel and agencies associated with the Criminal Justice system in  England and Wales 

• Describe and evaluate the criminal process and procedure in England and Wales 

• Evaluate why the Magistracy and victims of crime are central to an open, transparent and accessible system of justice in England and Wales. 

• Select and apply relevant IT skills to prepare, plan and reference information appropriate to address topic-related questions.