Which action would NOT constitute disposing of goods under the offence?

Which action would NOT constitute disposing of goods under the offence?

• A. Returning goods to their rightful owner.
• B. Selling the goods.
• C. Destroying the goods.
• D. Transferring ownership to remove goods.

Answer: (A)

Disposing of goods in this offence means taking steps to part with control or ownership of stolen property in a way that ends the offender’s involvement or helps them avoid liability. Returning goods to their rightful owner is not disposing because it restores ownership and ends the offender’s role without transferring or destroying the goods for profit or concealment. The other actions—selling the goods, destroying them, or transferring ownership to remove them—are forms of disposal since each action ends the possessor’s control and typically serves to distance the offender from the property or to profit from it. Therefore, returning the goods to the rightful owner is the action that would not constitute disposing.

Disposing of goods in this offence means taking steps to part with control or ownership of stolen property in a way that ends the offender’s involvement or helps them avoid liability. Returning goods to their rightful owner is not disposing because it restores ownership and ends the offender’s role without transferring or destroying the goods for profit or concealment. The other actions—selling the goods, destroying them, or transferring ownership to remove them—are forms of disposal since each action ends the possessor’s control and typically serves to distance the offender from the property or to profit from it. Therefore, returning the goods to the rightful owner is the action that would not constitute disposing.