What is the difference between theft, robbery and burglary?
In reports about crimes where money or property are taken, “theft”, “burglary” and “robbery” are terms often used interchangeably. There are, however, very clear differences between these offences.
Put very simply, someone is guilty of robbery if he steals from a person using force or makes them think force will be used. Theft means taking someone’s property but does not involve the use of force. Burglary means illegally entering a property in order to steal property from it.
Theft
In legislation “a person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.” This could mean someone stealing from a shop, picking someone’s pocket, stealing a bicycle or car, an employee stealing from their workplace or a guest stealing something from a house during a party.
Robbery
The definition as set out in legislation is as follows: “A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person of being then and there subjected to force”.
This can include a street mugging or robbery of a shop, business or security vehicle.
Due to the violent nature of robbery, it is treated as being more serious than theft and the maximum sentence is life.
Burglary
Burglary is committed when an offender either:
a) as a trespasser enters a building intending to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm or do unlawful damage; or,
b) having entered as a trespasser steals or attempts to steal, or inflicts or attempts to inflict grievous bodily harm.
There are three types of burglary recognised in law. These are:
Domestic burglary – Burglary of a dwelling
This type of burglary occurs when an offender enters, as per the definition above, a building which people live in. This generally refers to houses or flats. It also includes boats and vehicles in which people live, such as caravans, and can include domestic outhouses or garages if they are linked to a house.
The maximum sentence is 14 years.