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Thief is a series of stealth video games in which the player takes the role of Garrett, a thief in a fantasy/steampunk world resembling a cross between the Late Middle Ages and the Victorian era, with more advanced technologies interspersed.^[1] The series consists of Thief: The Dark Project (1998), Thief II: The Metal Age (2000), Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004) and Thief 4 (TBA). An expanded version of Thief: The Dark Project, titled Thief Gold, was released in 1999 and features three extra maps and several bug fixes.

Looking Glass Studios developed both The Dark Project and The Metal Age. After the studio had gone out of business in 2000, many former employees moved to Ion Storm Austin and began developing the third part of the series, Deadly Shadows, long anticipated by fans of the series. Eidos Montreal was subsequently given the reins for Thief 4.

Gameplay[link]

The main tactic of Thief is to avoid fights and instead sneak around the enemies. Thief is sometimes described as either a "first-person sneaker", "sneak-em-up" or a "first-person looter" to emphasize this difference. Classification of the game has been slow coming, as three-dimensional stealth games, such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (released in 2002) and Assassin's Creed (2008), only became more common years after the first Thief.

Another innovation introduced by Thief is the careful use of sound effects as an integral part of gameplay. Sound cues not only tell the player of other characters in the vicinity, but also indicate how much noise Garrett makes when moving about an area. Too much noise can alert nearby guards, who will grow suspicious and come looking for intruders. There are a variety of tactics to avoid being heard, however, such as walking gently, steering clear of noisy pavement, or using moss arrows to create a carpet that muffles the sound of footsteps.

In a similar vein, using light and dark became one of the most important strategies. A gauge at the bottom of the screen (called the 'Light Gem') indicates how visible the protagonist is. Entering deeper shadows or ducking makes the character less likely to be noticed. Walking about increases the risk of being spotted, and having a sword or bow drawn makes him very conspicuous in the game. The astute player is constantly keeping an eye on areas of light or shadow, guard patrol routes, and the type of terrain they are walking on, in case a hiding place is needed in a hurry. A light source, such as a torch or gas lamp, can be doused with a Water Arrow, creating an area of darkness in which the player may hide. Electrically powered lights, in all games, may simply be shut off by using a nearby switch or button; however, if no light switch is available, the electrical light will not turn off by simply shooting a Water Arrow at it. In Thief: Deadly Shadows, the player can simply 'pinch out' a lit candle by pressing the use button on it. A guard or any civilian may notice if a light source has been put out, likewise if something valuable has been stolen.

The games[link]

[edit] Thief: The Dark Project

Released by Looking Glass Studios in 1998, and powered by their own in-house developed Dark Engine, Thief: The Dark Project was in many ways a revolutionary title. Perhaps foremost is that the title is arguably the first major release Fantasy-themed computer game which presents a morally ambiguous universe, as one might expect from its title. Cast in the role of The Thief, Garrett, the player can forgo all morality, or choose to exercise restraint. This represented a departure for a genre of computer gaming which previously had presented almost entirely Manichaen, 'black and white' settings and objectives. Another groundbreaking facet of the game was that although it utilized a first person perspective, it was not an action-oriented shooter like almost all other first person games. Instead, the emphasis was on stealth: The character is unusually agile, but is not a particularly skilled fighter, and much of the gameplay involves using shadows to avoid enemies. However, for those who desire action, there are weapons available that allow direct confrontation. A skilled player can often break cover and go head-to-head with the enemies. An even more skilled player can stay in cover and never let the enemies know that he was there.

The game's original gameplay quickly developed a cult following.

[edit] Thief Gold

Thief Gold is a re-release of Looking Glass Studios' Thief: The Dark Project computer game.

In addition to various bug fixes, Thief Gold added three new levels (mostly derived from, but not identical to, content which was planned for the original game but cut for budget or time constraints) which contributed significantly to the existing plot. The package also contained the DromEd Thief editor as well as a behind-the-scenes "making of" video.

Looking Glass was working on a similar re-release of Thief II: The Metal Age, provisionally entitled "Thief II Gold", at the time they went out of business in 2000.

[edit] Thief II: The Metal Age

Looking Glass Studios released the sequel to Thief in 2000. Utilizing the same Dark engine that powered the original Thief, Thief II had an almost identical look and feel, with only minor graphic and programming improvements, such as colored lighting. The basic gameplay was also fundamentally similar to the original Thief, but many new elements had been added, including technological gadgets such as a remote eye camera. Other changes include an increase in the number of AI behaviors.

Responding to criticism of the original Thief that more time was spent on combat than actually living up to the title of the game, the missions in Thief II were designed much more around typical thief-like behavior, and much of the game is spent robbing the rich denizens of the City rather than battling monsters. In fact, the player encounters almost none of the monsters from the original Thief except for burrick (dinosaur-like creatures) heads mounted as trophies in some of the mansions, a few zombies, undead and ghostly apparitions. The designers stated that, unlike the original Thief, where levels were developed to suit the plot, in Thief II levels were designed first and making the plot work with them was somewhat of a retrofit.

[edit] Thief: Deadly Shadows

A major departure from the first two games in the series, Thief: Deadly Shadows was developed by Ion Storm rather than Looking Glass Studios (albeit with many of the same people). The game was powered by the Unreal-based Deus Ex: Invisible War engine. Unlike the original two titles, the third Thief game was developed simultaneously for Windows and the Xbox.

Because of all these factors, Thief: Deadly Shadows (Ion Storm decided not to name the game Thief III for fear that it would alienate console gamers who had never played the previous two titles) was different (and vastly updated) from the first two games in the series in both appearance and gameplay.

One of the game's major new features was the ability to explore the City. While previous games sent Garrett straight from mission to mission, Thief: Deadly Shadows allows him to walk the City streets between missions where he can steal from passersby, spy on the townspeople's daily lives, and search for sidequests in addition to major story missions. Unlike sandbox games such as Grand Theft Auto III, the city is not one large continuous map, but rather several small neighborhood maps connected by load zones (similar to Postal²). The game also introduced an ability to switch between first and third person views, and to flatten against walls.

[edit] Thief 4

Thief 4 (stylized as Thi4f) is the upcoming fourth title in the Thief series, currently in development at Eidos-Montréal and to be published by Square Enix. No information aside from an official unveiling is known, save a listing on Eidos' home page.^[2] Since early 2008, several rumors had been circulating regarding a fourth Thief game, which was allegedly under development. Eidos-Montréal's General Manager Stéphane D'Astous commented in an interview for Deus Ex: Human Revolution that confirmation of the company's second "AAA title," which its website states "begins with the letter 'T'," would occur "over the next year" or so.^[3]

Thief 4 was officially unveiled on May 11, 2009. D'Astous was quoted on the main page as stating Thief 4 was currently in early development: "We're in the early development stages for Thief 4, but this is an incredibly ambitious project and a very exciting one. It's too early for us to offer any specific game details. Right now, we are focused on recruiting the very best talent to join the core team at the studio and help us make what we believe will be one of the most exciting games on the market."^[4]

Game editing[link]

With the release of DromEd, a map editor for the first two games, an active community of fans began providing a wealth of home-grown missions for the first two games, known as Fan Missions. Thousands of fan missions for these games have been created, some equally or more complex than the original game missions. These fan missions can be played by other fans using a loader.

T3Ed, a map editor for the third game Deadly Shadows, was released in February 2005 after a letter-writing campaign by fans. This allows fans to design their level with all the interactive objects seen in original missions, as well as place stealable loot and lighting, factors which drastically affect gameplay. Human NPCs and creatures from all the various factions can be added into missions, and their behaviors (such as patrol routes) configured. Missions may be packaged and distributed to other players, who need a loader to play them.

Factions[link]

The Thief series follows the exploits of Garrett, a master thief living and working in a steampunk metropolis constantly being fought over by a corrupt aristocracy, an order of religious fanatics and a horde of vengeful woodland beings, all under the eye of a secret organization.

The Keepers[link]

The Keepers are an ancient sect of expert observers, dedicated to preserving balance in the world. Garrett once belonged to the organization and still makes use of the skills learned as a Keeper for his own clandestine purposes. Even though Garrett refuses further involvement with the Keepers, they frequently manipulate him into acting out their prophecies and obscure designs in all three games; though Garrett insists on personal independence, they are the faction that he is closest to being aligned with.

The Keepers are revealed in greater detail in Thief: Deadly Shadows as the player explores their organization and what it guards.

The Order of the Hammer[link]

The Order of the Hammer is a technocratic religious group, also known as the Hammerites. They seek to carry out the vision of the Master Builder, their architect god, (who created and cultivated the earth with his hammer) and are the burning force of progress in the Thief world. They represent order and orthodox religion and zealously enforce the tenets of their faith, striving ceaselessly against criminals and other law-breakers but most especially against their long-time enemies, the Trickster-worshipping Pagans, who promote chaos and distortion.

As suggested by the nomenclature, the Hammerites take as their symbol a stylised hammer which adorns their buildings and is emblazoned on their uniforms. Early in the series, the Hammerites are represented as contributing substantially to the world, and deeply influencing the culture around them. Hammerites are depicted working in mines, operating temples, writing literature, fighting against disorder and dark supernatural forces, and exploring dangerous environments for the furtherance of their religion. Their beliefs are depicted as having a long vintage.

The Mechanists[link]

The Mechanists were an off-shoot from the Hammerite religion. Preaching "The New Scripture of the Master Builder", the Mechanists were led by a former Hammerite priest named Karras, who was not only a genius but also a psychopath. Unlike the Hammerites whose worship of law and order extended primarily to the construction of buildings and utilities within The City, the Mechanists more fully embraced the notion of technological progress with a particular emphasis on mechanical construction. By the time of the Metal Age, the Mechanists had introduced a range of gadgetry into The City such as security cameras, steam-powered robots, and "servants" - vagrants kidnapped from the streets and turned into docile and efficient household domestics through the application of mind-controlling headgear. Throughout the entirety of Thief II: The Metal Age, Garrett encounters numerous steam-based creations of theirs, including mechanical spiders and clockwork sentinels.

The Mechanists are depicted as a relatively new movement, but one that has already made serious inroads into the Hammerite religion. The Hammerites, for their part, are shown to be hostile to the Mechanist "heretics", however, being merely a shadow of their former power and influence they are not able to mount any serious confrontation. The Mechanists, unlike the judgemental Hammerites, court the favour of The City's elite, overlooking their political corruption, frequent intrigues and sexual affairs. Privately, however, Father Karras and his followers regard The City's elite with extreme contempt.

The Mechanists are highly pragmatic, and have a disregard for any moral restraints that might impede their mission. The unraveling of Karras' genocidal plots plays a dominant role in that game. The Mechanists, like the Hammerites, despise the Pagans.

The Pagans[link]

The Pagans represent the forces of nature and chaos in the Thief world. As nature worshippers who live in the deep forests away from the City, the Pagans shun technology and live in harmony with wild, supernatural creatures and are usually depicted as barefoot. They despise the ordinary people of the City, and are completely inimical to Hammerites and the offshoot Mechanists. The Pagans speak in a peculiar English dialect, often adding a "-sie" or a plural to the end of several words (i.e. "good" becomes "goodsie", "get" becomes "gets").

The Pagan deity, the Trickster, and the facts surrounding their resurgence are central to the plot of Thief: The Dark Project.

Recurring characters[link]

Information on non-recurring characters may be found in Thief: The Dark Project, Thief II: The Metal Age and Thief: Deadly Shadows

Garrett

The protagonist of the series. A cynical, highly disciplined master thief who only wishes to be left alone to steal in peace, but who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a series of epic events. As a child, Garrett was recruited into the Keepers but later rebelled against their secretive, hierarchical ways. He left the mysterious organization, went into business for himself as a thief, and now uses his Keeper skills to steal from the rich and give to himself. Garrett comes across as cold and ruthless, but also seems to have a professional pride and will only kill when absolutely necessary. He is even a caring and warm person to those whom he regards as friends, like Viktoria (during the Metal Age) and Artemus, although not overtly. In Thief: Deadly Shadows a large scar runs down one side of his face, the result of Viktoria plucking out one of his eyes in Thief: The Dark Project. During the second and third games Garrett sees with a mechanical eye, a piece of Mechanist technology given to him by the Hammerites at the end of The Dark Project. The mechanical eye incorporates a zoom lens. At the end of Thief: Deadly Shadows, Garrett catches hold of a small child trying to pick his pocket, and their conversation is almost identical to that between Artemus and child Garrett.

Keeper Artemus

The Keeper and mentor who took Young Garrett in and taught him in Thief: The Dark Project. Artemus is the main point of contact between Garrett and the Keepers throughout the series and attempts to enlist his help with the various Keeper prophecies, much to Garrett's reluctance. He holds genuine affection for Garrett, in spite of Garrett's rejection of the Keeper ways, and carries a strong independent and rebellious streak of his own. Artemus also appears to be the only Keeper whose stealth skills rival Garrett's and occasionally manages to sneak up on him. Artemus is believed to have been killed towards the end of Thief: Deadly Shadows.

Keeper Orland

A member of the Keeper organization with a strong dislike of Garrett. Orland eventually becomes the leader of the Keepers in Thief: Deadly Shadows. His leadership quickly proves officious, bureaucratic, and secretive, and Garrett quickly learns to dislike him. He first appeared in Thief II: The Metal Age, albeit voiced by a different actor. Orland is killed by The Hag towards the end of Thief: Deadly Shadows.

Viktoria

Apparently a wood sprite ("wood nymph" in Deadly Shadows, where she is only mentioned) or similar magical creature in human form, she was a primary antagonist during the events of the Dark Project, being the one to remove Garrett's eye. However, she and her followers become allies for Garrett's war on the Mechanists in the Metal Age. At the start there is little trust on Garrett's part, but over time It becomes clear that she was able to gain Garrett's respect, loyalty and, uncharacteristically of the cynical thief, care. Even to the point of Garrett being willing to defend her directly, immediately rushing to her aid upon hearing of her assault on Soulforge. It seems that this degree of respect and general sentiment on Garrett's part is only seen in his relationship's with Viktoria and the Keeper Artemus.

Interpreter Caduca

An old woman in the Keeper organization in charge of reading and interpreting the Glyph Prophecies. Prophecies are central to the Keepers' work, so Caduca plays a very important role in the organization, and even the Keeper leader listens to her advice. In reality, Caduca is relatively young. Prolonged exposure to the Glyphs causes accelerated aging, an effect which limits the amount of knowledge and power any single Keeper can obtain from studying the Glyphs. The word caduca is Portuguese/Spanish for "old". She is murdered by The Hag in Thief: Deadly Shadows.

Translator Gamall

Caduca's assistant, an eerie pale and emotionless girl who translates Caduca's interpretations into English. As the Translator, Gamall will succeed Caduca as interpreter when Caduca is no longer able to fulfill her duties. Gamall turns out to be a guise of The Hag.

"Benny"

A recurring drunkard guard whose mood swings and amusing ramblings endeared him to many fans of the series. The name is informal, but comes from a specific drunken guard in the Sheriff's mansion during the Metal Age. The character's voice is used for a number of different guards throughout the series. In Thief: Deadly Shadows he is at one point called "Sinclair". Several "episodes" of a series of conversations called "Benny's Ailment" can also be listened to in Deadly Shadows.

Basso the Boxman

An acquaintance of Garrett's whom he rescued from a Hammerite prison, although this uncharacteristic act of kindness was merely performed because Garrett had his eye on Basso's sister, who he hoped would be "grateful". Garrett also helps to rescue Basso's betrothed Jeneviere from indentured servitude in the first mission of Thief II: The Metal Age.

[edit] The world of Thief

The universe of Thief is centered mostly on a dense, sprawling metropolitan complex known only as "The City", which has some resemblance to late 18th/ 19th century London, minus the widespread use of electricity and apparent lack of firearms, this was made to preserve the medieval feel of the game instead of firearms, the main projectile weapon is a bowgun. Thief 4 is rumored to continue this trend, possibly with a heavier emphasis on the identity of "The City".^[5] Garrett works with the underground economy of the City, making a lucrative living for himself. Occasionally Garrett would leave the confines of the City and rob mansions, prisons, or graveyards.

Equipment[link]

Throughout the series, Garrett employs melee weapons, a wide array of trick arrows, potions, and tools to augment his abilities. These tend to serve one of three purposes:

• Altering the environment to allow Garrett to be more stealthy (Water arrows, moss arrows, noisemakers)
• Allowing Garrett into otherwise inaccessible locations (lockpicks, rope arrows, vine arrows, wall-climbing gloves)
• Direct confrontation. Sometimes hostile (the sword, fire arrows, etc.), sometimes pacifying (the blackjack, gas mines, etc.).

The most notable melee weapon is the blackjack, a small club that Garrett uses to strike foes on the head and cause unconsciousness. It's the quietest and "cleanest" weapon in the game (since it does not kill the victim), and as such is the most useful weapon in Garrett's arsenal. On the other hand, it is next to useless if the target has already been alerted to Garrett's presence.

Notes[link]

^[6]

1. ^ "City Timeline – A Revisionist Perspective". Btinternet.com. http://www.btinternet.com/~sneaksiethiefsie/doc11.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-22. 
2. ^ "Eidos Confirms Thief 4". May 11, 2009. http://www.next-gen.biz/news/eidos-confirms-thief-4. 
3. ^ "Thief 4 stepping out of shadows May 11?". May 4, 2009. http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/rumor-control/909119209/26870198/thief-4-stepping-out-of-shadows-may-11.html. 
4. ^ "Eidos-Montréal – Games". May 11, 2009. http://eidosmontreal.com/en/games.html. 
5. ^ http://gamingbolt.com/thief-4-storyboard-concept-images-leaked-set-in-london
6. ^ "Eidos post image of Thief 4, playtest shot shows third-person". http://www.strategyinformer.com/news/11177/eidos-post-image-of-thief-4-playtest-shot-shows-third-person. Retrieved 2011-02-25. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Thief

• Thief: The Dark Project at Eidos
• Thief II: The Metal Age at Eidos
• Thief: Deadly Shadows at Eidos
  • Thief: Deadly Shadows (flash) at Eidos

In common usage, theft is the taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.^[1][2] The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud.^[1][2] In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny;^[2] in others, theft has replaced larceny. Someone who carries out an act of or makes a career of theft is known as a thief. The act of theft is known by terms such as stealing, thieving, and filching.^[2]

Theft is the name of a statutory offense in California, Canada, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Victoria.^{[citation needed]}

Elements[link]

The actus reus of theft is usually defined as an unauthorized taking, keeping or using of another's property which must be accompanied by a mens rea of dishonesty and/or the intent to permanently deprive the owner or the person with rightful possession of that property or its use.

For example, if X goes to a restaurant and, by mistake, takes Y's scarf instead of her own, she has physically deprived Y of the use of the property (which is the actus reus) but the mistake prevents X from forming the mens rea (i.e., because she believes that she is the owner, she is not dishonest and does not intend to deprive the "owner" of it) so no crime has been committed at this point. But if she realises the mistake when she gets home and could return the scarf to Y, she will steal the scarf if she dishonestly keeps it (see theft by finding). Note that there may be civil liability for the torts of trespass to chattels or conversion in either eventuality.

By region[link]

Canada[link]

Section 322(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada provides the general definition for theft in Canada:

322. (1) Every one commits theft who fraudulently and without colour of right takes, or fraudulently and without colour of right converts to his use or to the use of another person, anything, whether animate or inanimate, with intent

(a) to deprive, temporarily or absolutely, the owner of it, or a person who has a special property or interest in it, of the thing or of his property or interest in it;

(b) to pledge it or deposit it as security;

(c) to part with it under a condition with respect to its return that the person who parts with it may be unable to perform; or

(d) to deal with it in such a manner that it cannot be restored in the condition in which it was at the time it was taken or converted.^[3]

Sections 323 to 333 provide for more specific instances and exclusions:

• theft from oyster beds (s. 323)
• theft by bailee of things under seizure (s. 324)
• exception when agent is pledging goods (s. 325)
• theft of telecommunications service (s. 326)
• possession of device to obtain telecommunication facility or service (s. 327)
• theft by or from person having special property or interest (s. 328)
• theft by person required to account (s. 330)
• theft by person holding power of attorney (s. 331)
• misappropriation of money held under direction (s. 332)
• exception for ore taken for exploration or scientific research (s. 333)

In the general definition above, the Supreme Court of Canada has construed "anything" very broadly, stating that it is not restricted to tangibles, but includes intangibles. To be the subject of theft it must, however:

• be property of some sort;
• be property capable of being

• taken (therefore intangibles are excluded); or
• converted (and may be an intangible);
• taken or converted in a way that deprives the owner of his proprietary interest in some way.^[4]

Because of this, confidential information cannot be the subject of theft, as it is not capable of being taken as only tangibles can be taken. It cannot be converted, not because it is an intangible, but because, save in very exceptional far‑fetched circumstances, the owner would never be deprived of it.^[4]

For the purposes of punishment, Section 334 divides theft into two separate offences, according to the value and nature of the goods stolen:

• If the thing stolen is worth more than $5000 or is a testamentary instrument the offence is commonly referred to as Theft Over $5000 and is an indictable offence with a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment.
• Where the stolen item is not a testamentary instrument and is not worth more than $5000 it is known as Theft Under $5000 and is a hybrid offence, meaning that it can be treated either as an indictable offence or a less serious summary conviction offence, depending on the choice of the prosecutor.

• if dealt with as an indictable offence, it is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years, and,
• if treated as a summary conviction offence, it is punishable by 6 months imprisonment, a fine of $2000 or both.

Where a motor vehicle is stolen, Section 333.1 provides for a maximum punishment of 10 years for an indictable offence (and a minimum sentence of six months for a third or subsequent conviction), and a maximum sentence of 18 months on summary conviction.

Republic of Ireland[link]

Theft is a statutory offence, created by section 4(1) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

Romania[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

By the Romanian penal code for theft (furt) a person can face a penalty ranging from 1 to 20 years.

Degrees of theft:

A: Theft (one to twelve years)
When a person steals a thing, or uses a vehicle without permission and no aggravating circumstances apply.

B: Qualified theft (basically three to 15 years, but there can be special cases when the penalty range is from four to 18 years and even ten to 20 years)

• Aggravating circumstances - three to 15 years: a) by two or more persons together b) by a person in possession of a gun or a narcotic substance c) by a masked or disguised person d) against a person who cannot defend his or herself e) in a public place f) in a public transportation vehicle g) during the night h) during a natural disaster i) through burglary, or by using an original or copied key j) stealing national treasures k) stealing official identity papers with the intention to make use of them l) stealing official identity badges with the intention to make use of them

• Aggravating circumstances - four to 18 years: a) stealing petrol-based products directly from transportation pipes and vehicles or deposits b) stealing components from national electrification, telecommunication, irrigation networks or from any type of navigational system c) stealing a siren d) stealing a public intervention vehicle or device e) stealing something which jeopardises the safety of public transportation.

• Aggravating circumstances - ten to 20 years: when the consequences are extremely grave and affect public institutions or the material stolen is worth over 200,000 RON (Approximately US$80,000).

United Kingdom[link]

Two young waifs steal a pair of boots.

England and Wales[link]

In England and Wales, theft is a statutory offence, created by section 1(1) of the Theft Act 1968. This offence replaces the former offences of larceny, embezzlement and fraudulent conversion.^[5]

The marginal note to section 1 of the Theft Act 1968 describes it as a "basic definition" of theft. Sections 1(1) and (2) provide:

1.-(1) A person is guilty of theft, if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it; and "thief" and "steal" shall be construed accordingly.

(2) It is immaterial whether the appropriation is made with a view to gain, or is made for the thief’s own benefit.

Sections 2 to 6 of the Theft Act 1968 have effect as regards the interpretation and operation of section 1 of that Act. Except as otherwise provided by that Act, sections 2 to 6 of that Act apply only for the purposes of section 1 of that Act.^[6]

Dishonestly[link]

See dishonesty.

Appropriates[link]

Section 3 provides:

(1) Any assumption by a person of the rights of an owner amounts to an appropriation, and this includes, where he has come by the property (innocently or not) without stealing it, any later assumption of a right to it by keeping or dealing with it as owner. (2) Where property or a right or interest in property is or purports to be transferred for value to a person acting in good faith, no later assumption by him of rights which he believed himself to be acquiring shall, by reason of any defect in the transferor’s title, amount to theft of the property.

See R v Hinks and Lawrence v Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

Property[link]

Section 4(1) provides that:

"Property" includes money and all other property, real or personal, including things in action and other intangible property.

Edward Griew said that section 4(1) could, without changing its meaning, be reduced, by omitting words, to:

"Property" includes ... all ... property.^[7]

Sections 4(2) to (4) provide that the following can only be stolen under certain circumstances:

• Land or things forming part of land and severed from it (s. 4(2))
• Mushrooms growing wild on any land, or the flowers, fruit or foliage of plants growing wild on any land (s. 4(3))
• Wild creatures or the carcases of wild creatures (s. 4(4))

Intangible property

Confidential information^[8] and trade secrets^[9] are not property within the meaning of section 4.

The words "other intangible property" include export quotas that are transferable for value on a temporary or permanent basis.^[10]

Electricity

Electricity cannot be stolen. It is not property within the meaning of section 4 and is not appropriated by switching on a current.^[11] Cf. the offence of abstracting electricity under section 13.

Belonging to another[link]

Section 5 "belonging to another" requires a distinction to be made between ownership, possession and control:

• ownership is where a person is not legally accountable to anyone else for the use of the property:
• possession is where a person is only accountable to the owner for the use of the property; and
• control is where a person is only accountable to two people for the use of the property.

So if A buys a car for cash, A will be the owner. If A then lends the car to B Ltd (a company), B Ltd will have possession. C, an employee of B Ltd then uses the car and has control. If C uses the car in an unauthorised way, C will steal the car from A and B Ltd. This means that it is possible to steal one's own property.

In R v Turner,^[12] the owner removed his car from the forecourt of a garage where it had been left for collection after repair. He intended to avoid paying the bill. There was an appropriation of the car because it had been physically removed but there were two issues to be decided:

• did the car "belong to another"? The garage had a lien i.e. a "proprietary right or interest" in the car as security for the unpaid bill and this gave the garage a better right than the owner to possess the car at the relevant time.
• what was the relevance of Turner's belief that he could not steal his own property? The defence of mistake of law only applies if the defendant honestly believes that he has a right in law to act in the given way. Generalised and non-specific beliefs about what the law might permit are not a defence.

With the intention of permanently depriving the other of it[link]

Section 6 "with the intent to permanently deprive the other of it" is sufficiently flexible to include situations where the property is later returned. For example, suppose that B, a keen football fan, has bought a ticket for the next home match. T takes the ticket, watches the match and then returns the ticket to B. In this instance, all that T returns is a piece of paper. Its value as a licence to enter the stadium on a particular day has been permanently lost. Hence, T steals the ticket. Similarly, if T takes a valuable antique but later repents and returns the goods, T has committed the actus reus with the mens rea. The fact that T's conscience forces a change of mind is relevant only for sentencing.^{[citation needed]}

Alternative verdict

The offence created by section 12(1) of the Theft Act 1968 (TWOC) is available an alternative verdict on an indictment for theft.^[13]

Visiting forces

Theft is an offence against property for the purposes of section 3 of the Visiting Forces Act 1952.^[14]

Mode of trial and sentence

Theft is triable either way.^[15] A person guilty of theft is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years,^[16] or on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the prescribed sum, or to both.^[17]

Aggravated theft

The only offence of aggravated theft is robbery, contrary to section 8 of the Theft Act 1968.^[18]

Stolen goods

For the purposes of the provisions of the Theft Act 1968 which relate to stolen goods, goods obtain in England or Wales or elsewhere by blackmail or fraud are regarded as stolen, and the words "steal", "theft" and "thief" are construed accordingly.^[19]

Sections 22 to 24 and 26 to 28 of the Theft Act 1968 contain references to stolen goods.

Handling stolen goods

The offence of handling stolen goods, contrary to section 22(1) of the Theft Act 1968, can only be committed "otherwise than in the course of stealing".^[20]

Similar or associated offences

According to its title, the Theft Act 1968 revises the law as to theft and similar or associated offences. See also the Theft Act 1978.

Northern Ireland[link]

In Northern Ireland, theft is a statutory offence, created by section 1 of the Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969.

United States[link]

Bicycles can occasionally be stolen, even when locked up, by removing the wheel or cutting the lock that holds them.

In the U.S., plenary regulation of theft exists only at the state level, in the sense that most thefts by default will be prosecuted by the state in which the theft occurred. The federal government has criminalized certain narrow categories of theft which directly affect federal agencies or interstate commerce.

Although many U.S. states have retained larceny as the primary offense,^[21] some have now adopted theft provisions.

In many states, grand theft of a vehicle is charged as "grand theft auto" (see motor vehicle theft for more information).

Repeat offenders who continue to steal may become subject to life imprisonment in certain states.^[22]

Sometimes the federal anti-theft-of-government-property law 18 U.S.C. § 640 is used to prosecute cases where the Espionage Act would otherwise be involved; the theory being that by retaining sensitive information, the defendant has taken a 'thing of value' from the government. For examples, see the Amerasia case and United States v. Bradley Manning.

California[link]

The Theft Act of 1927 consolidated a variety of common law crimes into theft. The state now distinguishes between two types of theft, grand theft and petty theft.^[23] Grand theft generally consists of the theft of something of value over $1000 (it can be money, labor or property but is lower with respect to various specified property),^[24] while petty theft is the default category for all other thefts.^[25] Grand theft is punishable by up to a year in jail or prison, and may be charged (depending upon the circumstances) as a misdemeanor or felony.^[26] while petty theft is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or imprisonment not exceeding six months in jail or both.^[27] As for the older crimes of embezzlement, larceny, and stealing, any preexisting references to them now mean theft instead.^[28]

Victoria, Australia[link]

Theft is defined at s.72 of the Crimes Act 1958. The actus reus and mens rea are defined as follows:

Actus reus[link]

West Lavington: the Robbers’Stone. This memorial warns against the consequences of getting caught thieving

Appropriation - defined at s.73(4) of the Crimes Act 1958 as the assumption of any of the owners rights. It does not have be all the owner's rights, as long as at least one right has been assumed(Stein v Henshall). If the owner gave their consent to the appropriation there cannot be an appropriation(Baruday v R). However, if this consent is obtained by deception, this consent is vitiated.

Property - defined at s.71(1) of the Crimes Act 1958 as being both tangible property, including money and intangible property. Information has been held not be property(Oxford v Moss).

Belonging to another - s.73(5) that property belongs to another if that person has ownership, possession, or a proprietary interest in the property. Property can belong to more than one person. s.73(9) & s.73(10) deal with situations where the accused receives property under an obligation or by mistake.

Mens rea[link]

Intention to permanently deprive - defined at s.73(12) as treating property as it belongs to the accused, rather than the owner.

Dishonestly - s.73(2) creates a negative definition of the term 'dishonestly'. The section deems only three circumstances when the accused is deemed to have been acting honestly. These are a belief in a legal claim of right (s.73(2)(a)), a belief that the owner would have consented (s.73(2)(b)), or a belief the owner could not be found(s.73(2)(c))

West Indies[link]

In the British West Indies, especially Grenada, there have been a spate of large-scale thefts of tons of sand from beaches.^[29] Both Grenada and Jamaica are considering increasing fines and jail time for the thefts.^[29]

See also[link]

• Anti-theft system
• Asset management (corporate theft prevention)
• Confidence trick
• Copyright infringement
• Counterfeit
• Credit card fraud
• Dishonesty
• Fence (criminal)
• Force-initiation
• Fraud
• Larceny
• Money laundering
• Organized crime
• Pickpocketing
• Plagiarism
• Property is theft!
• Secret profit
• Skimming (casinos)
• Taxation as theft
• Theft Act
• White-collar crime

Specific forms of theft and other related offences

• Art theft
• Bank robbery
• Bandwidth theft
• Carjacking
• Computer crime
• Data theft
• Economic Espionage Act of 1996
• Embezzlement
• Espionage
• Extortion
• Identity theft
• Kidnapping
• Laptop theft
• Metal theft
• Motor vehicle theft
• Organized retail crime
• Package pilferage
• Piracy
• Receipt of stolen property
• Street sign theft
• Tax evasion
• Theft of services
• Theft by finding

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Allen, Michael. Textbook on Criminal Law. Oxford University Press, Oxford. (2005) ISBN 0-19-927918-7.
• Criminal Law Revision Committee. 8th Report. Theft and Related Offences. Cmnd. 2977
• Griew, Edward. Theft Acts 1968 & 1978, Sweet & Maxwell. ISBN 0-421-19960-1
• Ormerod, David. Smith and Hogan Criminal Law, LexisNexis, London. (2005) ISBN 0-406-97730-5
• Maniscalco, Fabio, Theft of Art (in Italian), Naples - Massa (2000) ISBN 88-87835-00-4
• Smith, J. C. Law of Theft, LexisNexis: London. (1997) ISBN 0-406-89545-7.

External links[link]

Look up pilferage or scrump in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Theft

Look up theft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

v t e English criminal law Part of the common law series Classes of crimes Common law Indictable Either way Summary Regulatory Lesser included Elements of crimes Actus reus Causation Mens rea Intention (criminal law) Intention in English law Recklessness Criminal negligence Corporate / Vicarious / Strict liability Omissions Concurrence Ignorantia juris non excusat Inchoate offences Encouraging or assisting crime Conspiracy Accessory Attempt Common purpose Defences Self-defence Duress Necessity Marital coercion Consent Insanity Diminished responsibility Intoxication Category:Criminal defences Offences against the person Homicide (Murder / Manslaughter / Corporate manslaughter / Infanticide) Child destruction Wounding or causing grievous bodily harm Assault occasioning actual bodily harm Common assault Battery Kidnapping False imprisonment Harassment Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sexual offences Rape Sexual assault Sexual Offences Act 2003 Public order offences Riot Violent disorder Affray Fear or provocation of violence Intentional harassment, alarm or distress Harassment, alarm or distress Public Order Act 1986 Nuisance Public nuisance Offences against property Dishonesty Burglary Robbery Theft Taken Without Owner's Consent (TWOC) Deception Handling stolen goods Blackmail Computer crime Theft Act 1968 Theft Act 1978 Fraud Act 2006 Criminal damage Conspiracy to defraud Forgery, personation and cheating Forgery Cheating the public revenue Offences against justice Bribery Perjury Perverting the course of justice Other common law areas Contract Tort Property Wills Trusts and estates Evidence See also Criminal procedure History Law of England and Wales portal Criminal justice portal

Look up series in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

series (singular/plural) may refer to anything of a serial form:

Mathematics and science[link]

• Series (botany), a taxonomic rank between genus and species
• Series (mathematics), the sum of a sequence of terms
• Series circuits, a kind of electrical network
• Seriation (archaeology), a method of dating objects
• Seriation (semiotics), a concept in interpreting phenomena
• Series (stratigraphy), a stratigraphic unit deposited during a certain interval of geologic time

Media[link]

• Book series
• Film series
• Television series
• Video game series
• Comic book series

Music[link]

• Serialism including the twelve-tone technique
• The ordered sets used in serialism including tone rows
• The harmonic series (music)

See also: sequence

Other uses[link]

• Series (United States currency), referring to the year that a bill's design was adopted
• A book series
• A sequence of competitive sports events, sometimes to decide a championship; see also World Series (disambiguation)
• Serial (radio and television), series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion
• "Television series", the Australian, British, and a number of others countries' equivalent term for the North American "television season", a set of episodes produced by a television serial.
• Land Rover Series, early Land Rover workhorses (forerunners to the Defender)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Hamish Macbeth is a fictional police officer who serves as his town's detective in a series of mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney). The novels are published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. In an interview, the author recalls,

Character[link]

Hamish Macbeth is the eldest of seven siblings and has three brothers and three sisters. His parents are crofters and as the eldest son, Hamish is expected to contribute to his family's income. He lives in Lochdubh's police station and keeps some sheep and chickens and grows some vegetables. He is occasionally guilty of poaching a salmon, sometimes for himself, but often as a gift or bribe for others.

Hamish has a reputation for laziness. He loves the town of Lochdubh (meaning 'black lake' (loch) in Gaelic and pronounced Lokh-DOO) and is content and at peace with his life and lacks ambition. Of great concern to Hamish and his fellow villagers is the threat of possible closure of Lochdubh's police station,^[2][3] something his superior and archenemy, Chief Inspector Blair, would like to see. Hamish avoids promotion, occasionally even deliberately destroying attempts to give him recognition for his accomplishments. His position as "local bobby," sees him sometimes left out of official investigations and he must often work outside official channels, as the detectives from neighbouring Strathbane CID do not appreciate his help. Despite this, it is Hamish's natural "Highland curiosity" and local knowledge and intuition that combine to solve crimes.

Early in the series, Macbeth has an on-again, off-again love affair with Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, the daughter of a wealthy local landowner. The affair ultimately ends in a broken engagement; thereafter, his luck with women, including Elspeth Grant, a reporter with whom he has a relationship, is poor. Hamish is very attached to his pets, first his dog Towser, then in later books his dog Lugs (Scots for "ears") and a "domesticated" wildcat named Sonsie (Scots for "cheeky").

Hamish is very tall and thin. He has hazel eyes and long eyelashes and fiery red hair.

Setting[link]

This series of novels is set in the Scottish Highlands, in the fictional village of Lochdubh, in the real county of Sutherland. Although Lochdubh and the neighbouring town of Strathbane are fictional places, the series refers to real Scottish towns such as Dornoch, Dingwall and Inverness.

Recurrent characters in the series[link]

In Lochdubh

• Hamish Macbeth Lochdubh's village policeman.
• Priscilla Halburton-Smythe Once the love of Hamish's life. The beautiful, cool Priscilla still tugs at his heart strings and has assisted Hamish in solving crimes.
• Colonel Halburton-Smythe Priscilla's snobbish father. He dislikes Hamish immensely and considers him a most unsuitable friend for his daughter.
• Mary Halburton-Smythe Priscilla's timid mother.
• Elspeth Grant Local news reporter and sometimes love interest of Hamish. Her gypsy heritage gives her insights into her surroundings that Hamish comes to trust.
• Dr. Brodie The village doctor, who enjoys hearty cholesterol laden meals.
• Angela Brodie The doctor's wife. Not very domestic and a poor cook.
• Nessie & Jessie Currie Twin sisters and the village spinsters whose knowledge of local gossip is useful to Hamish.
• Archie Maclean A fisherman who spends his time when not at sea at the habour front or in the local pub to avoid his wife.
• Mrs. Maclean Archie's overly houseproud wife.
• Mrs. Wellington The local clergyman's wife. She has a loud, booming voice and is at the heart of Lochdubh's village life.
• Rev. Wellington A man with strong Christian values who is kindly and tolerant.
• Angus Macdonald An old man with the reputation of being a seer. Hamish believes that Angus is an old fraud with a network of gossipy contacts.
• Willie Lamont Hamish's former subordinate. Willie leaves the police force to marry Lucia, a relative of the local Italian restaurant owner, to devote himself to the restaurant.
• Lucia Lamont Willie Lamont's beautiful Italian wife.
• Mr Patel An Indian immigrant who operates a local grocery shop in Lochdubh. Mr. Patel has developed a Highland accent and he and his family are accepted in Lochdubh as locals.

Police in Strathbane

• Superintendent Peter Daviot, who likes Hamish

Susan Daviot his wife, who wants to improve him, a friend of Priscilla Halburton-Smythe

• Helen, Daviot's secretary, who dislikes Hamish
• Detective Chief Inspector Blair, who also hates him (mostly because Hamish, a mere constable, manages to solve cases that Blair cannot); a fat, whisky drinker who, at one point, is hospitalised with alcohol poisoning.
• Detective Inspector Jimmy Anderson, who likes Hamish
• Detective Sergeant Andy McNab, who likes Hamish
• Dr Forsyth, a pathologist

Novels[link]

1. Death of a Gossip (1985)
2. Death of a Cad (1987)
3. Death of an Outsider (1988)
4. Death of a Perfect Wife (1989)
5. Death of a Hussy (1990)
6. Death of a Snob (1992 )
7. Death of a Prankster (1992)
8. Death of a Glutton (1993)
9. Death of a Travelling Man (1993)
10. Death of a Charming Man (1994)
11. Death of a Nag (1995)
12. Death of a Macho Man (1996)
13. Death of a Dentist (1997)
14. Death of a Scriptwriter (1998)
15. Death of an Addict (1999)
16. A Highland Christmas (1999)
17. Death of a Dustman (2001)
18. Death of a Celebrity (2002)
19. Death of a Village (2003)
20. Death of a Poison Pen (2004)
21. Death of a Bore (2005)
22. Death of a Dreamer (2006)
23. Death of a Maid (2007)
24. Death of a Gentle Lady (2008)
25. Death of a Witch (2009)
26. Death of a Valentine (2010)
27. Death of a Chimney Sweep (2011)
28. Death of a Kingfisher (2012)

Adaptations[link]

Television[link]

Hamish Macbeth was adapted into a BBC Scotland television series. Running for three series between 1995 and 1997, the titular police officer was played by Robert Carlyle: the first and second series comprised six episodes, the third had an additional 2-part series finale to make eight episodes. The series bore little relation to the content of Beaton's novels - Macbeth and Lochdubh transferred, in name at least, but little else survived.

References[link]

1. ^ Fletcher, Connie. "M.C. Beaton." Booklist 102.17 (May 1, 2006): 28(1)
2. ^ "Police cutbacks seal fate of Scotland's rural bobby." Sunday Times (London, England) (Oct 17, 2004): 15.
3. ^ 'Hamish Macbeth' beat's new base.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8286922.stm

John Woo
John Woo attending the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
Chinese name	吳宇森 (Traditional)
Chinese name	吴宇森 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Wú Yǔsēn (Mandarin)
Jyutping	Ng4 Jyu5 Sam1 (Cantonese)
Origin	Hong Kong
Born	(1946-05-01) 1 May 1946 (age 66) Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Occupation	Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Editor
Spouse(s)	Annie Woo
Awards Hong Kong Film Awards Best Picture 1986 A Better Tomorrow Best Director 1989 The Killer Best Film Editing 1990 Bullet in the Head 1992 Hard-Boiled Other awards Saturn Award for Best Direction 1997 Face/Off

John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (born 1 May 1946) is a Hong Kong film director, writer, and producer.^[1] Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion.^[2] Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff.^[2] His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2.^[2] He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today".^[3] Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.^[2]

Early life[link]

Woo was born amidst the chaos of the Chinese Civil War in 1946. The Christian Woo family, faced with persecution during Mao Zedong's early anti-bourgeois purges after the communist revolution in China, fled to Hong Kong when he was five.^[4][5] Impoverished, the Woo family lived in the slums at Shek Kip Mei. His father was a teacher, though rendered unable to work by tuberculosis, and his mother was a manual laborer on construction sites.^[6] The family was rendered homeless by the big Shek Kip Mei fire of 1953.^[5] Charitable donations from disaster relief efforts enabled the family to relocate; however, violent crime had by then become commonplace in Hong Kong housing projects.