Robbery is theft aggravated by force, and the offence stands or falls on proving both the theft and the force in the right relationship.
If any element of the underlying theft fails, the robbery charge collapses with it — which is why the structure of this offence repays careful study. This chapter starts with the offence under the Theft Act 1968, where it is tried, its maximum sentence and the four elements the prosecution must prove, before working through the requirement of a completed theft and what happens when one of its five elements, such as dishonesty, cannot be made out. It then examines the force or threat of force needed, including how little force suffices, force applied to property, the pickpocket problem and whether the victim must actually be frightened. Finally, it covers the timing and nexus rules linking force to the theft, and how attempts and secondary liability extend the offence to those who take nothing and never lay a hand on anyone.
