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

[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.