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Inflicting grievous bodily harm/ Unlawful wounding/ Racially or religiously aggravated GBH/ Unlawful wounding

Crime and Disorder Act 1998, s.29, Offences against the Person Act 1861, s.20 · Crown Court / Magistrates

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Sentencing framework

The guideline for sentencing in cases of inflicting grievous bodily harm or unlawful wounding requires the court to assess both the culpability of the offender and the harm caused to the victim. Sentences are tiered based on the seriousness of the offence, starting from community orders for the least serious cases to up to 7 years in custody for the most severe aggravated cases. Aggravating and mitigating factors can influence the final sentence.

Maximum sentence

7 years’ custody (aggravated), 5 years’ custody (non-aggravated)

Court

Crown Court / Magistrates

Starting point

4 years’ custody (high culpability, serious harm)

Offence range

Community order – 4 years 6 months’ custody

Aggravating factors

  • ·Previous convictions
  • ·Offence committed while on bail
  • ·Offence motivated by hostility based on race or religion
  • ·Offence committed against an emergency worker

Mitigating factors

  • ·No previous convictions or no relevant/recent convictions
  • ·Remorse
  • ·Good character and/or exemplary conduct
  • ·Significant degree of provocation
  • ·History of significant violence or abuse towards the offender by the victim
  • ·Age and/or lack of maturity

Sentencing range explorer

Select the culpability level and harm category to see the guideline's starting point and category range. This is an educational illustration of the published guideline — not a sentence calculation, and not legal advice. Courts apply the full step-by-step process, aggravating and mitigating factors, and the totality principle.

Culpability

Harm

Select a culpability level and a harm category above.

The sentencing process, step by step

  1. Step 1 — determining the offence category
  2. Step 2 — starting point and category range
  3. Step 3 — consider any factors which indicate a reduction for assistance to the prosecution
  4. Step 4 — reduction for guilty pleas
  5. Step 5 — dangerousness
  6. Step 6 — totality principle
  7. Step 7 — compensation and ancillary orders
  8. Step 8 — reasons
  9. Step 9 — consideration for time spent on bail (tagged curfew)

Guideline notes

  • The maximum sentence that applies to an offence is the maximum that applied at the date of the offence.

Always read the full guideline

This is a one-page summary. For any live case, sentencing exercise, or legal advice the authoritative source is the Sentencing Council's own definitive guideline — including the category bands, step-by-step sentencing approach, and all statutory factors not captured here.

Open the full guideline on sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Source: Sentencing Council · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-28. Not legal advice — see a regulated adviser for any live case.