⇒ It is a principle of English law that the actus reus and mens rea must coincide. That is they must happen at the same time. This is sometimes referred to as the contemporaneity rule or the coincidence of actus reus and mens rea.

⇒ However, the courts often apply a flexible approach in holding that the actus reus is a continuing act. See, for example, the case of Thabo-Meli v R [1954].

⇒ Also see the case of Fagan v Metropolitan Police Commissioner [1969] where the defendant had committed the actus reus of an offence (without mens rea), but at a later point developed the mens rea.