Section 240 — Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992: Breach of contract involving injury to persons or property.

Breach of contract involving injury to persons or property. 240 1 A person commits an offence who wilfully and maliciously breaks a contract of service or hiring, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the probable consequences of his so doing, either alone or in combination with others, will be—

a to endanger human life or cause serious bodily injury, or b to expose valuable property, whether real or personal, to destruction or serious injury.

2 Subsection (1) applies equally whether the offence is committed from malice conceived against the person endangered or injured or, as the case may be, the owner of the property destroyed or injured, or otherwise.

3 A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale or both.

4 This section does not apply to seamen.