{"id":5777,"date":"2018-03-07T09:26:59","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T09:26:59","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2019-07-03T11:46:08","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T11:46:08","slug":"r-v-rai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawteacher.net\/cases\/r-v-rai.php","title":{"rendered":"R v Rai"},"content":{"rendered":"

R v Rai (1999) The Times, November 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dishonesty \u2013 Deception by Silence \u2013 Fraud<\/p>\n

Facts<\/h3>\n

In June of 1996 the defendant, Rai, applied to Birmingham City Council\u2019s social services for a grant in order to adapt the bathroom in his home for his elderly mother.\u00a0 The council approved a grant of \u00a39,500 in March 1997.\u00a0 The defendant\u2019s mother died in July of that year.\u00a0 Rai remained silent towards the council regarding his mother\u2019s death and the council were unaware of her death until after they had completed their work by October 1997.\u00a0 The defendant was charged with deception contrary to s15(4) Theft Act 1968 <\/strong>and with obtaining services by deception contrary to s1 Theft Act 1978<\/strong>.\u00a0 Prior to trial, counsel for the defendant asked the judge to rule on whether or not silence or inactivity could give rise to deception under the relevant provisions.\u00a0 After the judge declared that they could, Rai pleaded guilty.\u00a0 This was appealed.<\/p>\n

Issues<\/h3>\n

Whether the trial judge was right in ruling that silence or inactivity could constitute a \u2018deception\u2019 under s15(4) Theft Act 1968 <\/strong>and s1 Theft Act 1978<\/strong>.\u00a0 Whether fraud could be committed by an omission or required a positive act of the defendant.\u00a0 Whether the defendant had in fact made a positive representation that continued.<\/p>\n

Decision\/Outcome<\/h3>\n

Rai\u2019s appeal was dismissed.\u00a0 The trial judge was correct to rule that silence could constitute a \u2018deception\u2019 because the defendant\u2019s conduct, as a whole, constituted an ongoing course of deception and a representation that his mother was in fact alive.\u00a0 Once his mother had died, he can no longer have had the intention that she would benefit from the works done to his bathroom and at this point he must have formed a new intent.\u00a0 Therefore, applying DPP v Ray <\/em><\/strong>[1974] AC 370<\/strong>, failing to notify the council constituted a positive acquiescence and a straightforward deception.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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