What is 'assault' under English common law?

What is 'assault' under English common law?

Michael Ehline (Attorney at Law) gives expert video advice on: What is an 'intentional tort'?; What are common law intentional torts?; What is 'battery' under English common law? and more...

An assault under intentional English common law is a situation where someone comes very close to actually committing a battery, but they don't. In other words, they don't harmfully or offensively touch you, but they put you in a reasonable apprehension of a harmful or offensive conduct. And because you were placed in that reasonable apprehension of an intentional offensive touching, that is enough to sue.