abvsolicitors.co.uk It is often portrayed in the media as one of the most devastating crimes that you can be a victim of. You come home from work and find that there is somebody outside your property waiting for you, who threatens to harm you if you do not give them admittance to your property to take your valuables. Because of the seriousness of robbery in the UK, if you have been accused of being involved in a robbery of any kind, the first thing you need to do is seek out the advice of a criminal solicitor to defend you. Due to the forceful nature that is involved with a robbery, it is considered to also fall into the spectrum of potential harm and if a weapon was used to help you gain entry, there may be additional charges added. So, you will need to seek the advice of a criminal solicitor as soon as possible. To help you make a bit more sense of the law surrounding robbery in the UK, the following short guide has been put together with the help of a criminal solicitor. Robbery is defined as an unlawful taking away of personal property from a person through violence or by threatening a violent act which will cause fear; this may also be known as aggravated robbery. According to a criminal solicitor, in simple terms, this means that a person has entered a property, either residential or commercial, and has threatened the person who was dwelling there with violence if they did not allow them to take or steal their goods or assets. As you can see, the threat of violence is a large factor here and will be one that is considered by a criminal solicitor. What is robbery in the UK? Burglary is different to robbery in that it typically occurs when a property is empty. So, if you come back from holiday and find that your home has been broken into and items have been stolen, this is burglary. Robbery involves a person being present on the property at the time and the threat of violence being used to gain access and take the goods. These are the key factors that a criminal solicitor will look out for when determining which actions you should receive charges for. Burglary or robbery? Defending robbery One of the most common defences that a criminal solicitor will use is a case of mistaken identity, so you were not involved in the theft or robbery and that you have been misidentified. Or, that you did not intend to deprive the victim of the stolen items, so the offence does not count as theft. It may also be that you only played a limited role in the overall event, so any charges against you should be minor. Repeat offences If you are approaching a criminal solicitor with a history of committing robbery, then it is highly likely that you will receive a more long-term sentence or other punishment. However, as part of your defence, your criminal solicitor may suggest a meeting with a psychiatric professional, to assess if there are any underlying mental health issues which could be used in your defence. The maximum sentence for robbery in the UK is life imprisonment, so always aim to seek out the advice of a criminal solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Sentencing ht tps: / /www.abvsol ic i tors .co .uk / h t tps: / /www.abvsol ic i tors .co .uk /serv ices /cr imina l - so l ic i tor / h t tps: / /www. leg is la t ion .gov .uk /ukpga/1968 /60 /crossheadin g / thef t - robbery-burg lary -e tc ht tps: / /c r imerate .co .uk / robbery Sources :