The defendant's daughter accused a man of sexually abusing her. The defendant went after man and repeatedly slashed him with a Stanley knife. The victim received medical treatment but later re-opened his wounds in what was thought to be a suicide and died two days after the initial attack. The defendant argued the man's actions in opening the wounds amounted to a novus actus inerveniens.
Held:
The defendant's conviction was upheld. The wound was still an operating and substantial cause of death.
R v Dear
