Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 (c. 16)

N.I. Fraud and blackmail

15 Obtaining property by deception. N.I.

F1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 S. 15 repealed (15.1.2007) by Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), ss. 14, 15(1)(4), Sch. 1 para. 1(c)(i), Sch. 3 (subject to transitional provisions and savings in Sch. 2 para. 3); S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2

15A Obtaining a money transfer by deception. N.I.

F2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F2 S. 15A repealed (15.1.2007) by Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), ss. 14, 15(1)(4), Sch. 1 para. 1(c)(ii), Sch. 3 (subject to transitional provisions and savings in Sch. 2 para. 3); S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2

15B Section 15A: supplementary. N.I.

F3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3 S. 15B repealed (15.1.2007) by Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), ss. 14(1)(3), 15(1)(4), Sch. 1 para. 9, Sch. 3; S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2

16 Obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception. N.I.

F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4 S. 16 repealed (15.1.2007) by Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), ss. 14, 15(1)(4), Sch. 1 para. 1(c)(iii), Sch. 3 (subject to transitional provisions and savings in Sch. 2 para. 3); S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2

17 False accounting. N.I.

(1) Where a person dishonestly, with a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another—

(a) destroys, defaces, conceals or falsifies any account or any record or document made or required for any accounting purpose; or

(b) in furnishing information for any purpose, produces or makes use of any account, or any such record or document as aforesaid, which to his knowledge is or may be misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular;

he shall, on conviction on indictment, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

(2) For purposes of this section, a person who makes or concurs in making in an account or other document an entry which is or may be misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular, or who omits or concurs in omitting a material particular from an account or other document, is to be treated as falsifying the account or document.

18 False statements by company directors, etc. N.I.

(1) Where an officer of a body corporate or unincorporated association (or person purporting to act as such), with intent to deceive members or creditors of the body corporate or association about its affairs, publishes or concurs in publishing a written statement or account which to his knowledge is or may be misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular, he shall, on conviction on indictment, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

(2) For purposes of this section, a person who has entered into a security for the benefit of a body corporate or association is to be treated as a creditor of it.

(3) Where the affairs of a body corporate or association are managed by its members, this section shall apply to any statement which a member publishes or concurs in publishing in connection with his functions of management as if he were an officer of the body corporate or association.

19 Suppression etc., of documents. N.I.

(1) A person who dishonestly, with a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, destroys, defaces or conceals any valuable security, any will or other testamentary document or any original document of or belonging to, or filed or deposited in, any court of justice or any government department shall, on conviction on indictment, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

(2) F5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) For purposes of this section,F6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “valuable security” means any document creating, transferring, surrendering or releasing any right to, in or over property, or authorising the payment of money or delivery of any property, or evidencing the creation, transfer, surrender or release of any such right, or the payment of money or delivery of any property, or the satisfaction of any obligation.

F5 S. 19(2) repealed (15.1.2007) by Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), ss. 14, 15(1)(4), Sch. 1 para. 1(c)(iv), Sch. 3 (subject to transitional provisions and savings in Sch. 2 para. 3); S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2

F6 Words in s. 19(3) repealed (15.1.2007) by Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), ss. 14(1)(3), 15(1)(4), Sch. 1 para. 10, Sch. 3; S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2

20 Blackmail. N.I.

(1) A person is guilty of blackmail if, with a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, he makes any unwarranted demand with menaces; and, for this purpose, a demand with menaces is unwarranted unless the person making it does so in the belief—

(a) that he has reasonable grounds for making the demand; and

(b) that the use of the menaces is a proper means of reinforcing the demand.

(2) The nature of the act or omission demanded is immaterial, and it is also immaterial whether the menaces relate to action to be taken by the person making the demand.

(3) A person guilty of blackmail shall, on conviction on indictment, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.