R v Duffy [1949] 1 All ER 932
The appellant attacked and killed her husband with a hammer and a hatchet whilst he was sleeping in bed. He had subjected her to violence throughout their marriage.
Devlin J gave the classic definition of provocation as:
"Provocation is some act, or series of acts done (or words spoken)... which would cause in any reasonable person and actually causes in the accused, a sudden and temporary loss of self-control, rendering the accused so subject to passion as to make him or her for the moment not master of his or her mind."
Back to lecture outline on the defence of provocation or Loss of control