Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997

Placing or abandoning syringe.

8

8.(1) Subject to subsection (3), a person who places or abandons a syringe in any place in such a manner that it is likely to injure another and does injure another or is likely to injure, cause a threat to or frighten another shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person who intentionally places a contaminated syringe in any place in such a manner that it injures another shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person placing a syringe in any place whilst administering or assisting in lawful medical, dental or veterinary procedures.

(4) In a prosecution for an offence under subsection (1) where it is alleged a syringe is placed in a place being a private dwelling at which the accused normally resides, it shall be a defence for the accused to show that he or she did not intentionally place the syringe in such a manner that it injured or was likely to injure or cause a threat to or frighten another, as the case may be.

(5) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (2) shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.

Annotations:

Editorial Notes:

E11

A fine of £1,500 converted (1.01.1999) to €1,904.61. This translates into a class C finenot greater than €2,500 as provided (4.01.2011) by Fines Act 2010 (8/2010), s. 6(2) and table ref. no. 1, S.I. No. 662 of 2010.