R v Parker For the purpose of s 1(1)a of the Criminal Damage Act 1971, which makes it an offence, inter alia, to
damage property belonging to another ‘being reckless’ as to whether the property would be damaged, a
person is ‘reckless’ when he carries out a deliberate act closing his mind to the obvious fact that there is
some risk of damage resulting from that act; the deliberate closing of his mind is the equivalent of
knowledge that there is risk of damage resulting from the act (see p 40 c to e, post).