# Brits: what does "GBH" mean? (Terrorist Masood conviction list)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 23, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856 "2017-03-23T18:15:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/1 "2017-03-23T18:15:33Z")
See query. From today BBC on line:
Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack, police say.
However, he was known to the police and had a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.
He has not been convicted of any terrorism offences.
Anyone with any information about Masood can call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789 321
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/2 "2017-03-23T18:16:21Z")
Grievous Bodily Harm
> **[Grievous bodily harm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grievous_bodily_harm)**
>
> Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm (often abbreviated to GBH) is a term used in English criminal law to describe the severest forms of battery. It refers to two offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. The distinction between these two sections is the requirement of specific intent for section 18; the offence under section 18 is variously referred to as "wounding with intent" or "causing grievous bodily harm with intent", whereas the of
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/3 "2017-03-23T18:17:07Z")
[Grievous Bodily Harm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grievous_bodily_harm)
ETA: Ninja’d! Why, I oughta… 😉
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### Author:  [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/4 "2017-03-23T19:45:23Z")
I totally read this as “GHB.” Gamma Hydroxybutyrate… totally sent me down a different train of thought.
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### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/5 "2017-03-23T21:02:03Z")
What’s the equivalent in the US?
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### Author:  [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/6 "2017-03-23T21:15:53Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> What’s the equivalent in the US?
Battery?
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/7 "2017-03-23T21:18:19Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> What’s the equivalent in the US?
IANAL, but my guess would be [battery, particularly aggravated battery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_%28crime%29#United_States) (note that the definition of “battery” in the U.S. includes any “offensive touching,” not just infliction of injury).
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### Author:  [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/8 "2017-03-23T21:18:55Z")
Felony Assault I think
(which is another way of referring to aggravated battery…)
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/9 "2017-03-23T21:25:32Z")
The definition of “assault” in the U.S. seems like it varies in different jurisdictions, and “aggravated / felony assault” may be different from simple assault.
A rule of thumb that I was once taught (and, being a rule of thumb, it’s probably not entirely accurate) was this: “‘Assault’ means that I tell you I’m going to hit you. ‘Battery’ means that I actually hit you.”
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### Author:  [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/10 "2017-03-23T21:31:39Z")
Yeah the terms get a little slippery.
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/11 "2017-03-23T22:25:09Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> “‘Assault’ means that I tell you I’m going to hit you. ‘Battery’ means that I actually hit you.”
[Actually, not quite true, from what I found](http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/assault):
> [@West's Encyclopedia of American Law](#):
>
> An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal or civil liability. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal and Tort Law. There is, however, an additional Criminal Law category of assault consisting of an attempted but unsuccessful Battery.
>
> [snip]
>
> Generally, the essential elements of assault consist of an act intended to cause an apprehension of harmful or offensive contact that causes apprehension of such contact in the victim.
>
> The act required for an assault must be overt. Although words alone are insufficient, they might create an assault when coupled with some action that indicates the ability to carry out the threat. A mere threat to harm is not an assault; however, a threat combined with a raised fist might be sufficient if it causes a reasonable apprehension of harm in the victim.
The second part is what I mean. And, yes, intent is required, and there must have been a real fear put into the other person.
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### Author:  [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/12 "2017-03-23T22:33:20Z")
These charges under the _Offences Against The Person Act 1861_ have been recommended by the Law Commission for replacement by ones that are a bit more comprehensible to modern understanding. Few ordinary people can appreciate the difference between Assault, Actual Bodily Harm and Grievous Bodily Harm.
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### Author:  [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/13 "2017-03-24T01:21:42Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#):
>
> These charges under the _Offences Against The Person Act 1861_ have been recommended by the Law Commission for replacement by ones that are a bit more comprehensible to modern understanding. Few ordinary people can appreciate the difference between Assault, Actual Bodily Harm and Grievous Bodily Harm.
At least in this (Cayman Islands) quaint corner of the realm the distinctions used are:
Assault - can be verdal only
Actual Bodily Harm - some injury is visible - a bruise, scratch
Grievous Bodily Harm - blood is drawn.
Not sure if that holds elsewhere in the UK.
The step from ABH to GBH is a short one.
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### Author:  [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/14 "2017-03-24T15:04:17Z")
In Texas we’d call it Serious Bodily Injury (SBI). Assault is hitting someone, but Aggravated Assault comes in two forms: causing Serious Bodily Injury, or using or exhibiting a Deadly Weapon.
Serious Bodily Injury is defined in the code as, “bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.”
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-what-does-gbh-mean-terrorist-masood-conviction-list/782856/15 "2017-03-24T15:36:43Z")
> [@Derleth](#):
>
> The second part is what I mean. And, yes, intent is required, and there must have been a real fear put into the other person.
Agreed; it’s not solely “I’m going to hit you,” but I’m able to somehow convince you that the threat of me hitting you is real.