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Crime: Crimes and Criminals

The document discusses various topics related to crime: 1) It defines common crimes like murder, shoplifting, burglary, and their related terms. 2) It describes how police investigate crimes by collecting evidence at crime scenes and arresting suspects. 3) It explains the legal process of trials, where suspects plead and a jury decides on their verdict, and punishments like prison sentences handed out by judges. 4) It lists different people involved in crimes and the legal system, such as offenders, judges, juries, victims, suspects, and witnesses.

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Rodrigo Andres Rios
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828 views2 pages

Crime: Crimes and Criminals

The document discusses various topics related to crime: 1) It defines common crimes like murder, shoplifting, burglary, and their related terms. 2) It describes how police investigate crimes by collecting evidence at crime scenes and arresting suspects. 3) It explains the legal process of trials, where suspects plead and a jury decides on their verdict, and punishments like prison sentences handed out by judges. 4) It lists different people involved in crimes and the legal system, such as offenders, judges, juries, victims, suspects, and witnesses.

Uploaded by

Rodrigo Andres Rios
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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39

www.frenglish.ru

Crime
A Crimes and criminals
crime definition criminal verb
murder killing someone murderer murder
shoplifting stealing something from a shop shoplifter shoplift
burglary stealing something from someone’s home burglar burgle
smuggling taking something illegally into another country smuggler smuggle
kidnapping taking a person hostage in exchange for money or other kidnapper kidnap
favours, etc.
terrorism violent action for political purposes terrorist (terrorise)
fraud deceiving people in order to take money from them fraudster defraud
taking someone, especially a child, usually in order to abductor abduct
abduction harm them

All the verbs in the table above are regular. Note that the verb terrorise is mainly used in a general
way, meaning to make others very frightened, rather than just relating to the crime.

B Investigating crime
Ross committed a crime when he robbed a bank. Someone witnessed the crime and told the police.
The police arrested Ross and charged him with bank robbery. They also accused his twin brother,
Ben, of being his accomplice1. The police investigated the case2 and collected evidence3 at the
crime scene. They found Ross’s fingerprints and they also found DNA evidence4 that linked him to
the crime, so they were confident they had proof5 that the two men were guilty.
1 someone who helps someone commit a crime 2 a crime that is being investigated 3 information used in a
4 evidence from hair or skin that can be analysed
court of law to decide whether the accused is guilty or not
5 evidence that shows conclusively whether
scientifically and be shown to come from a particular person
something is a fact or not

C Trial and punishment


The case came to court1, and Ross and Ben were tried2. The trial3 did not last very long. Ross
and Ben both pleaded not guilty4 in court. Their lawyer did her best to defend them, but the
prosecuting lawyer produced a very strong case against them. After brief deliberations5, the
jury passed verdict on them. They decided that Ross was guilty, and he was convicted of6
robbery, but Ben was innocent7. The judge acquitted Ben of any involvement in the robbery,
but sentenced Ross to three years in prison/jail. As well as a prison sentence, Ross also had to
pay a large fine. Ross served two years in prison, but was released from prison a year early.
He got time off for good behaviour.
1 the place where a judge makes legal decisions 2 were put through a legal process to decide whether they
3 the legal process in court whereby an accused person is investigated and tried
committed the crime or not
4 said they did not commit the crime 5 discussions 6 found to be guilty of a crime 7 not guilty of a crime

D People connected with crime and the legal process


offender: someone who commits an illegal act (an offence)
judge: the person who leads a trial and decides on the sentence, i.e. the punishment when someone
is found guilty
jury: group of citizens (12 in the UK and, usually, the US) who decide on the verdict, i.e. whether the
accused is guilty or not
victim: a person who suffers as the result of a crime
suspect: a person who is suspected of committing an offence
witness: a person who sees a crime being committed

84 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate


www.frenglish.ru

Exercises
39.1 Which crime is each person accused of?
1 Zoe stole a chocolate bar from a shop. Zoe is accused of shoplifting.
2 Harry took a film star’s son and said she could only have him back if she paid a large sum
of money.
3 Ophelia shot her husband in the heart.
4 Noah tried to take a large amount of cigarettes into his country without paying the due tax.

5 Tom broke into someone’s house and stole a TV and a computer.


6 Mike used a website to sell people holiday homes that didn’t really exist.

39.2 Fill in the gaps in the newspaper article below with words from B opposite.

CRIME WATCH
A man has been 1 by police and 2 with burglary after a
house in the city centre was broken into last night. Experts have searched the
3
and found several items which they have taken away to be used
as 4 in court. The police believe the burglar may have had an
5
, so they are calling for anyone who 6 the crime to come
forward and help them catch the second burglar.

39.3 A preposition is missing in each of these sentences. Add it.


1 The judge sentenced the accused
to
>ten years in prison.
2 Many prisoners end up getting time for good behaviour.
3 The police have charged the driver of the red sports car speeding.
4 The two girls are suspected taking sweets from the shop without paying.
5 Sam was found guilty today but the judge will decide his sentence tomorrow.
6 The jury passed a verdict of guilty the accused.

39.4 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.


1 The judge gave the accused six months in prison as punishment. (sentenced)
The judge sentenced the accused to six months in prison.
2 The police think Bert is guilty but they cannot show this to be true. (proof)
3 In court the accused said he did not commit the crime. (pleaded)
4 The murder case is still being looked into by the police. (investigation)
5 Anyone suffering because of a crime can join this support group. (victim)
6 The detective thought the jealous lover killed the woman. (suspected)
7 The bank robbers are currently being tried at a court in London. (trial)
8 Nathan is hoping to be let out of prison soon. (released)

39.5 Over to you


Find out about how criminals are caught and punished in your country. Answer the questions.
1 Who decides if someone is guilty or innocent?
2 Who decides on their sentence?
3 Can criminals get time off their sentence for good behaviour?
4 How are victims of crime helped?

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 85

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