...legal web sites disagree...
So much for 'legal websites'.
According to direct.gov, which I think we can take as authoritative:
"A caution is not a criminal conviction, but it does go on your criminal record."
www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Beingstoppedorarrestedbythepolice/DG_196450
For background, the idea of the caution is to officially warn the person, but not give them the stigma of a criminal record.
It also saves public money by not prosecuting minor offences, although increasingly cautions are also being used for more serious offences, leading to allegations of police going soft on criminals, or cost-cutting.
But that's another debate.
I suspect the quasi-legal websites do not understand the difference between a criminal conviction and the person's antecedent history, often called their 'criminal record'.
It follows the woman in this case has a criminal record, but no criminal convictions.
When the matter is opened in court, the prosecuting barrister will say: "This defendant has no previous convictions, but her antecedent history does disclose a caution for assault."
A simpler way to look at it is people can only be convicted of an offence by a court, not by any other means.
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