DCHP-2

burglary DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Law, Administration

  the act of breaking into a building with the intent of committing theft.

  The term burglary refers to the act of illegally entering a building "with intent to commit theft, do bodily harm, or do damage" (see COD-2, s.v. "burglary"). The term was said to be used as early as the implementation of English Common Law in Canada and was subsequently incorporated into the 1892 Criminal Code. Note that it is no longer used in the Canadian legal context (see Canadian Encyclopedia reference), as it was replaced with the phrase "breaking and entering" (see Justice Laws reference). Although the term is still used in Canada, it is far more frequent in the UK and the US (see Chart 1). The term's prevalence in Quebec English (see Chart 2) may be explained by an adherence of Quebec media outlets to the older legal term.
  COD-2 marks the term as formerly used "In Canadian law", recently replaced by breaking and entering, see the entry break and enter.

  See also: break and enter  

  • 1825  [Two men named Moses] were committed on Monday evening and are suspected to be the same who committed the burglary in the Grocery Store. 
  • 1847  [...] law fixes as necessary to constitute a burglary. 
  • 1879  James Swanton, one of the men implicated in the burglary at Mrs. Wallis' house, was further charged on remand with selling liquor without a license. 
  • 1909  A Burglary at Kingston. - Burglars last night secured entrance to the second-hand goods store of Aaron Circle and made off with $100 worth of goods. They got into the store by breaking a window. 
  • 1939  A burglary of "Curly" Buzbuzian's poolroom last February was believed by police to have been cleared up today with the arrest of two girls, both juveniles. The girls, who are sisters, will appear in Juvenile Court Saturday charged with breaking and entering and theft of goods valued at $30. 
  • 1948  Oakland, Oct. 25 -- Police and FBI agents investigating burglary of the home of a noted atomic scientist today admitted that espionage was not the object. 
  • 1977  It was a strange burglary, since obvious things - typewriters and other equipment - were left untouched. 
  • 1998  The slaying of a policewoman may have been a diversionary tactic to lure police away from a burglary at a nearby computer factory. 
  • 2008  Adams said there have been several burglaries in the village in recent months and a suspicious fire at the tribal office. 
  • 2011  A man has been named the Chatham-Kent Police Service's dumbest criminal of the year. Displeased with media reports of what he and two friends stole, a suspect charged with burglary called local police with a detailed account of how the crime actually proceeded.