Attempted Murder?

[steepholm]

If I shoot someone, intending to murder them, only to find that that they were already dead when I fired the gun, does that still count as attempted murder under English law? And if not, what law have I broken - if any?

I hasten to add that this situation is purely hypothetical.

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'd imagine it must happen more in fiction than in life - though it can hardly be unknown, either. It's strange to think that the same action taken with the same intention could result in such diverse legal outcomes as murder, attempted murder, and corpse disturbance (or criminal damage?), depending only on the felon's timing and skill, or lack thereof.

[calimac.livejournal.com]

Another factor, mostly out of the felon's control, that spells the difference between murder and attempted murder is the quality of the subsequent medical care.