Our expert criminal lawyers for reckless wounding offences can help you:
- Obtain bail.
- Be found not guilty.
- Receive a lenient sentence, like no conviction and no prison.
You will be represented by a team of award-winning criminal lawyers, with 500+ five-star Google reviews, who offer fixed fees and free first consultations.
You can read our reviews here.
Reckless wounding
Wounding has traditionally been associated with stab wounds, but wounding is defined as a “breaking of the skin”. The offence does not require a weapon to be committed. Both a split lip and a stab wound can be wounds, and both a punch and a knife attack can cause one.
The only requirement for a wound is that the injury breaks both the interior layer of skin (dermis) and the outer layer of skin (epidermis). Breaking or cutting just the outer layers/epidermis is not sufficient.
Whatever the wound, and however it has been caused, we have a track record of beating recklessly wounding charges as well as getting our clients lenient sentences.
Pleading not guilty
You will be found not guilty of the offence of Reckless wounding if the police cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt:
- You wound any person.
- You are reckless as to causing actual bodily harm to that or any other person.
Recklessness will be established if it is proven beyond reasonable doubt you foresaw the likelihood of actual bodily harm being inflicted and ignored the risk.
You can read more information about pleading not guilty here.
The main defence for reckless wounding is self-defence. You must be able to satisfy the court that you acted in a way that was necessary to defend yourself and that your actions were reasonable given the circumstances as you perceived them.
Pleading guilty
If you plead guilty to reckless wounding, we want to achieve the best possible result for you. We often negotiate with prosecutors to have you plead guilty to less serious facts or to a less serious charge, so you get a lighter sentence.
Reckless wounding carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
You can read about all the sentencing options available to a court, including the option of no conviction being recorded for Reckless Wounding.
You can read more about pleading guilty here.
Do I need references?
We believe references are an extremely important part of a plea of guilty in court. Read about court processes and how to write a good character reference.
Contact Australian Criminal Law Group
Our criminal lawyers, with 500+ five-star Google reviews, can beat a reckless wounding charge or obtain a lenient sentence for you if you plead guilty.
Call us on (02) 8815 8167 for your free first conference or submit a website enquiry.
Case Studies
Not guilty – Witness evidence unreliable
Our lawyer represented a client who allegedly stabbed a woman at a party. The stabbing was allegedly seen by three different people. Under cross examination they all gave different versions and described a different weapon. It was found that none of the witnesses’ evidence could be considered reliable and in circumstances where there was a complete denial of culpability. He had to find our client not guilty.
Charge downgraded – No conviction recorded
Our lawyer represented a person charged with Inflicting grievous bodily harm to person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after she stabbed her boyfriend. He negotiated with the Director of Public Prosecutions for the charge to be withdrawn and replaced with the offence of Reckless wounding. He also argued for the matter to be dealt with in the Local Court. The facts were changed to reflect that the defendant was assaulted prior to the stabbing. The knife made contact with the victim recklessly but to such a degree that the Magistrate observed it sounded like an accident. In the end the client went from facing a jail sentence if found guilty to having no conviction recorded by the Magistrate.
Charge downgraded – Intensive Correction Order imposed
Our lawyer represented a man charged with two counts of Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He had stabbed 3 people in a park following being assaulted himself at a train station. After getting him bail in the Supreme Court, we negotiated pleas of guilty to charges of reckless wounding instead of Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was sentenced in the Local Court and the Magistrate gave him an Intensive Correction order and did not send him to jail.
Charge downgraded – Lack of intent established
Our lawyer represented a young man charged with Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He had stabbed his stepfather in the neck with a pair of scissors. Our lawyer argued that the act was impulsive, in response to a domestic argument and that the young man had not intended to seriously harm his stepfather. The police accepted a reckless wounding charge and our client received a good behaviour bond.