What Are The Differences Between Theft, Break and Enter And Robbery?
Theft is the intentional taking of property that belongs to another person. You can be charged with Theft Under $5000 or Theft Over $5000.
Break and Enter involves entering into a place with the intention of committing an indictable offence. The accused is not required to "break in" in order to be guilty of this offence. Simply walking through someone's door may be sufficient. If the accused breaks in and steals property, in addition to being charged with Break and Enter, the accused may also be charged with theft, possession of property obtained by crime, or mischief (as a result of damages).
Robbery differs from theft in that the accused will have used violence or the threat of violence to obtain the stolen items. The act or threat of violence must occur before the theft for the offence of robbery to be made out. If the accused uses a weapon to intimidate the victim, they will be charged with armed robbery.
