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[2014] NSWCCA 284
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Morgan v R [2014] NSWCCA 284 (5 December 2014)
Last Updated: 10 December 2014
This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the decision for a list
of the amendments.
Case Title:
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Morgan v R
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Medium Neutral Citation:
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Hearing Date(s):
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27/08/2014
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Decision Date:
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05 December 2014
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Before:
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Leeming JA at [1]; Adams J at [2]; Fullerton J at [3]
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Decision:
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1. Leave to appeal granted. 2. Appeal dismissed.
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Catchwords:
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CRIMINAL LAW - appeal against sentence - break, enter and steal - possess
child abuse material - whether sentence is manifestly excessive
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Legislation Cited:
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Cases Cited:
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Category:
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Principal judgment
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Parties:
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Dane Ronald Morgan (Applicant) The Crown (Respondent)
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Representation
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- Counsel:
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Counsel: W Hunt (Applicant) S Dowling SC (Crown)
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- Solicitors:
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Solicitors: Proctor & Associates (Applicant) Solicitor for Public
Prosecutions (Crown)
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File Number(s):
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2012/52557; 2012/58089
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Decision Under Appeal
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- Court / Tribunal:
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District Court
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- Before:
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Sides DCJ
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- Date of Decision:
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15 May 2013
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- Court File Number(s):
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2012/52557; 2012/58089
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JUDGMENT
- LEEMING
JA: I agree with Fullerton J.
- ADAMS
J: I agree with Fullerton J.
- FULLERTON
J: The applicant seeks leave to appeal against an aggregate sentence imposed
in the District Court in May 2013 pursuant to s 53A of the Crimes (Sentencing
Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) after he adhered to pleas of guilty entered
in the Local Court to nine counts of break, enter and steal laid contrary to s
112(1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). Each offence attracted a maximum
penalty of 14 years imprisonment.
- In
the appointment of the indicative sentence on the first count, sixteen further
offences were taken into account on a Form 1. They
included:
- (a) thirteen
further offences of break, enter and steal;
- (b) one offence
of break and enter with intent;
- (c) one offence
of possession of 0.44 grams of methylamphetamine; and
- (d) one offence
of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
- The
nine break, enter and steal offences on the indictment, and the thirteen further
offences on the Form 1, were committed between
December 2011 and February 2012
when the applicant broke into private homes across suburban Sydney and stole
cash, jewellery, laptop
computers, phones, cameras, Xboxes, and iPods. None of
the offences was committed in company. Each involved preplanning to some
degree.
- The
total value of the property stolen in respect of the nine counts on the
indictment was estimated at $200,000. The value of the
property the subject of
the thirteen offences on the Form 1 was estimated at $105,000.
- A
significant amount of stolen property was recovered when search warrants were
executed on the applicant's arrest. There was no evidence
as to the differential
between the value of the property stolen and the value of the property
recovered. There was also a large quantity
of property seized under warrant not
identified as stolen property. That property, together with 35 items sold by the
applicant at
six pawn shops between 29 November 2011 and 17 January 2012, was
the subject of the offence of knowingly dealing with the proceeds
of crime on
the Form 1.
- On
the date of the sentence proceedings, the applicant pleaded guilty to one count
of possessing child abuse material contrary to
s 91H(2) of the Crimes Act
on a separate indictment. That offence attracts a maximum penalty of 10
years imprisonment. It was dealt with in the imposition of
the aggregate
sentence.
- The
child abuse material comprised a total of 780 still images and 41 videos found
on two computers seized on the applicant's arrest.
One of the computers had been
stolen on 6 January 2012. An examination of that computer revealed that the
applicant had recently
accessed a number of the files containing the child abuse
material that had been downloaded by him. All but one of the still images
on
that computer fell within category 1 of the CETS scale and most of the videos
within category 1 or 2 of that scale. Category 2
relates to non-penetrative
sexual activity between children or masturbation by a child not involving an
adult. Of the seven videos
in category 4, at least one of 30 minutes in length,
all contained explicit, serious and repeated penetrative sexual abuse of
children.
The sentences
- After
applying a discount of 25 per cent for each of the break, enter and steal
offences and a 10 per cent discount for the plea of
guilty to possession of the
child abuse material (as to which there is no challenge) the following
sentences, referable to their
sequence numbers and in descending order of
length, were indicated:
- (a) possession
of child abuse material - 18 months;
- (b) break,
enter and steal, sequence 1, taking into account 16 matters on the Form 1 - 5
years;
- (c) break,
enter and steal, sequence 7 - 4 years;
- (d) break,
enter and steal, sequence 6 - 45 months;
- (e) break,
enter and steal, sequences 10 and 18 - 39 months; and
- (f) break,
enter and steal, sequences 9,11, 13 and 17 - 33 months.
- After
a finding of special circumstances pursuant to s 44 of the Crimes (Sentencing
Procedure) Act, an aggregate sentence of imprisonment for 11 years was
imposed with a non-parole period of 6 years and 6 months. The sentence dated
from 29 April 2012 to account for the applicant's pre-sentence custody. The
sentence was ordered to be served concurrently with a
sentence imposed on 25 May
2012 in the Local Court for a number of driving offences committed in February
2012.
The break, enter and steal offences
- The
facts with respect to the multiple break, enter and steal offences were also
detailed in the sentencing reasons referable to their
sequence numbers. It is
sufficient for present purposes to deal with them in a summary way.
The Hunters Hill offence (sequence 1)
- At
about 1.40pm on 16 February 2012, the applicant drove to Milling Street, Hunters
Hill, in a Suzuki Swift. He jemmied open the rear
door of the house to gain
entry. This entry activated a security alarm and alerted a neighbour who
observed the applicant open the
rear door of the premises. Once inside the
applicant attempted to disable the security alarm by cutting the wires. He
ransacked a
number of rooms and stole a quantity of jewellery.
- The
owner of the premises arrived home at about 1.48pm, having been notified that
the alarm had been activated. He confronted the
applicant. After a short
struggle with the owner the applicant broke the glass window at the front of the
house and escaped through
it, sustaining cuts in the process.
- At
about 3pm the same day, police located the Suzuki Swift in the carpark of the
block of units where the applicant lived. When they
searched the vehicle they
located a significant amount of the property stolen from Milling Street together
with property stolen from
other premises at Park Road, Hunters Hill. (This was
one of the offences on the Form 1.) Police also located a small amount of
methylamphetamine
(0.44 grams) inside the applicant's vehicle.
- Police
arrested the applicant later that day and charged him with the break, enter and
steal of the property at Milling Street. A
sample was taken from the applicant
at that time for the purposes of DNA analysis.
- Consequent
upon his arrest police executed a search warrant at the applicant's residence
where 601 items of stolen property (or property
reasonably suspected of being
stolen) were seized. Police executed a further search warrant at the applicant's
residence on a later
date during which a further 673 items were seized.
The Oatlands offence (sequence 6)
- On
8 December 2011, the applicant broke into a residence at Cumbrae Place, Oatlands
some time between 8.40am and 9.55pm and ransacked
two rooms stealing jewellery,
laptops, an iPod, moneyboxes and a game console. The property was valued at
$49,449.
- A
neighbour saw the applicant walking beside the house on the day of the offence
and provided the police with a description. The neighbour
also reported the
registration number of a Falcon parked nearby registered in the applicant's
name. Five items seized under warrant
from the applicant's home were identified
by the owners as property stolen from them.
The Epping offence (sequence 7)
- On
13 December 2011, the applicant broke into a residence at High Street, Epping
some time between 7.30am and 10.40pm. He ransacked
six rooms stealing jewellery,
cameras and camera-related equipment and gaming items. The property was valued
at $82,000. One of the
cameras, identified by its serial number, was recovered
from the applicant's home during the execution of the search warrant. The
owner
was unable to identify any of the other items stolen from her home amongst those
seized under warrant.
The Dundas offence (sequence 9)
- On
6 January 2012, the applicant broke into a residence at Rock Farm Avenue, Dundas
some time between 10am and 10.45am. He ransacked
five rooms and stole jewellery,
two computers, three cameras, an iPad and an iPhone. This property was valued at
$3,670.
- One
of the computers was later found at the applicant's home during the execution of
a search warrant onto which the applicant had
downloaded the child abuse
material the subject of the s 91H(2) offence. The owners identified thirteen
items that had been stolen
from their home amongst the items seized under
warrant.
The Roseville offence (sequence 10)
- On
14 January 2012, the applicant broke into a residence at Belgium Avenue,
Roseville. He ransacked five rooms and stole a quantity
of jewellery valued at
$27,960. He left behind a screwdriver. It had the applicant's DNA on the handle.
The owner was not able to
identify any of the property stolen from her home
amongst the items seized under warrant.
The Beecroft offence (sequence 11)
- On
13 January 2012, the applicant broke into a residence at Copeland Road, Beecroft
between 8.30am and 6.30pm. He ransacked seven
rooms stealing $1,500 in cash, two
computers, three iPods and two watches. The property was valued at $8,200.
- The
applicant left behind a glove which was also later used for DNA matching. The
owners were unable to identify any of the property
stolen from their home
amongst the items seized under warrant, but were able to identify a watch which
the applicant had pawned.
It had been on-sold prior to the applicant's
arrest.
The North Rocks offence (sequence 13)
- On
30 January 2012, the applicant broke into a residence at Speers Road, North
Rocks some time between 8.00am and 8.20am.
- During
the commission of the offence, the owner returned home and confronted the
applicant who claimed that he was in the wrong house.
The owner saw that the
applicant was holding a black computer bag and when challenged, the applicant
ran from the premises. The owner
pursued him. The applicant dropped the computer
bag and made good his escape. The bag contained a laptop, a mobile phone and
NZ$80.
The property stolen (and recovered) was valued at $1,450.
The West Pennant Hills offence (sequence 17)
- On
3 February 2012, the applicant broke into a residence at Aitkin Road, West
Pennant Hills some time between 5.30pm and 10pm. He
stole a quantity of
jewellery and US$15. The applicant's DNA was on a torch left at the
premises.
- The
owners were not able to identify any of the property stolen from their home from
amongst the items recovered during the execution
of the search warrant.
The Cherrybrook offence (sequence 18)
- On
3 February 2012, the applicant broke into a residence at Tamarisk Crescent,
Cherrybrook some time between 9.15am and 2pm. He ransacked
every room and stole
a quantity of jewellery, a camera, a handbag, perfume and some lottery tickets.
The stolen property on this
occasion was valued at $20,000.
- The
applicant left behind a glove, which police used to connect him to this offence
via DNA profiling.
- The
owners identified 31 items stolen from their home from amongst the property
seized under warrant.
The Form 1 offences (taken into account on the Hunters Hill
offence)
- Each
of the thirteen offences on the Form 1 were break, enter and steal offences of a
similar nature to those on the indictment. They
all involved the applicant
breaking and entering suburban homes from which jewellery, cash and electronic
devices were stolen, only
a small proportion of which was recovered. Some items
were able to be traced to a pawnshop from where they were on-sold.
- Two
of the offences of the Form 1 involved offences committed on the same day as the
offending the subject of sequence 1 - the day
the applicant was arrested. In one
offence, unique collectable Commonwealth minted coins and some jewellery was
stolen valued at
$5,000. The coins were recovered from the Suzuki Swift the
applicant was driving on his arrest. A further fourteen items were identified
by
their owners when they viewed the property seized under warrant from the
applicant's home. The remaining eleven break, enter and
steal offences were
committed during the preceding four weeks with multiple offences committed on
some days.
The applicant's subjective circumstances
- The
applicant did not give evidence on sentence. His subjective circumstances were
presented in the form of a comprehensive report
from Ms Durkin, a forensic
psychiatrist. The sentencing judge did not refer to the detail of the report.
- His
Honour sentenced the applicant on the basis that, apart from a substance abuse
problem and a gambling problem, there were no other
mental health or mental
health-related issues, and no credible evidence that at the time of the offences
the applicant was unaware
of what he was doing or the consequences of his
conduct. There was no suggestion that his judgment was impaired and no basis to
conclude
that at the time of any of the offences his moral culpability was
reduced.
- His
Honour was satisfied that the applicant was motivated to fund his substance
abuse and gambling problems which, in the conventional
way, explains but does
not excuse his offending. He also observed that despite there being no evidence
that the applicant had participated
in any rehabilitation programs in custody as
at the date of sentence, he was satisfied that the applicant had reasonable
prospects
of rehabilitation and not reoffending.
- His
Honour found that although the offending for which the applicant was to be
sentenced was what he described as the applicant's
"first foray into crime", and
that it spanned a relatively short period of time, it nonetheless impacted on
multiple victims. His
Honour observed that the property stolen included
jewellery that would likely be of sentimental value and electronic equipment,
also
likely to contain photographs of similar value and/or to record sensitive
or private information. He also noted that a victim of
a break and enter can
experience feelings of unease when at home alone or returning home after an
absence and in some cases those
feelings can survive in the long term. His
Honour accepted that although every home broken into was ransacked, there was no
evidence
that the applicant inflicted any wanton damage or vandalism.
- It
was not submitted on the appeal that his Honour gave insufficient weight to the
applicant's subjective circumstances, or that he
overlooked any feature which
might operate in mitigation of sentence. Rather, counsel submitted that the
applicant's subjective case
was a factor which distinguished him from other
offenders in comparable cases involving multiple offences of break, enter and
steal.
In order to give that submission consideration, it is necessary to set
out the applicant's subjective circumstances in some greater
detail.
- The
applicant was aged almost 29 at the date of sentence. Save for the driving
offences committed in February 2012 (one of which involved
driving dangerously
during a police pursuit attracting a term of imprisonment of 12 months with an 8
month non-parole period), he
had no criminal record. There was no evidence that
he had the disadvantage of a dysfunctional upbringing. In the history given to
Ms Durkin, it is obvious that he was the only child in a stable and positive
home environment. The applicant described himself as
a well adjusted child
without behavioural or psychological issues. It would appear that he remained
close to his parents throughout
his adolescence and into his adulthood which
eventually manifested in some incapacity to separate and forge independence from
them
and some social isolation in other spheres of his life. His parents remain
supportive of him.
- The
applicant reported above average academic performance during primary school and
progressing thereafter into secondary school until
regular truanting in Year 11
required him to repeat that year's schooling. It would appear that it was at
this time that the applicant
was accepted into a peer group who were involved in
drug use. He reported engaging in drug abusing behaviour to facilitate his
acceptance
into the peer group.
- The
applicant completed Year 12 after which he commenced work in the real estate
industry. He continued in that vocation for some
years before taking up a
position in recruitment where he remained for a further three years. In the
three years prior to entering
custody he worked as an account manager ultimately
progressing to a sales manager. He reported that it was that role which provided
him with significant autonomy and that he began using and abusing drugs on a
daily basis and gambling with regularity. While his
winnings from time to time
appear to have triggered a further deterioration in his functioning by
facilitating his access to stimulant
drugs, in particular "ice", which, in turn,
became a feature of his gambling problem as he sought out those activities
whilst affected
under its stimulant effect. He progressed to the point where he
was gambling on a daily basis and losing large amounts of money.
This then
triggered what was described as his use of "less conservative pornographic
materials", ultimately culminating in his possession
of the child abuse material
for which he was sentenced. As his drug dependence intensified, he required
additional sources of income
to support his dependence. He apparently
rationalised his actions at that time on the basis that the victims he stole
from would
be insured. With hindsight he accepted the significant detrimental
effect of his behaviour on those people.
The appeal
- At
the hearing of the appeal, the sole ground of appeal was the contention that the
aggregate sentence was manifestly excessive
- The
aggregate sentence necessarily comprehended the sentence indicated for the child
abuse material. Given the quite separate and
distinct offending comprehended by
that charge, the indicated sentence must have been notionally accumulated, to
some degree, on
the nine break, enter and steal offences the subject of a
separate indictment. The focus of the submissions of both counsel was,
however,
on that part of the aggregate sentence which must be taken to account for the
break, enter and steal offences. It appeared
to be common ground that, in the
application of totality principles, it was that offending which occupied his
Honour' primary attention
and to which, in a practical sense, the length of the
aggregate sentence must be attributed.
- The
applicant submitted that on a review of a number of relevantly comparable cases
where sentences for multiple break, enter and
steal offences were the subject of
consideration by this Court, a review amplified by the sentencing statistics
compiled by the Judicial
Commission, the sentence imposed in this case, is what
counsel described as an "outlier", which I take to mean a sentence so far
in
excess of past sentences as to result in a sentence that is "unreasonable and
plainly unjust".
- The
applicant's counsel accepted the limitations on the use that can be made of
extrinsic material when challenging a sentence as
manifestly excessive on appeal
(see Hili v R; Jones v R [2010] HCA 45; 242 CLR 520 at [54]). He also
acknowledged that neither sentencing statistics nor past sentencing decisions
fix a range within which sentence might or
should fall or that sentences imposed
in other cases dictate whether a sentence under challenge is beyond the exercise
of a permissible
sentencing discretion (see Barbaro v R; Zirilli v R
[2014] HCA 2; 305 ALR 323 at [28] and [41]). He maintained the submission
however that when the whole of the circumstances that have informed sentences
imposed in
the past for comparable offending are examined, and where a sentence
under challenge is not relevantly distinguishable on its facts
and a markedly
more severe sentence is imposed, then the past sentences may properly be used as
a measure to assist an appellate
court to decide whether a sentence said to be
manifestly excessive is shown to be "unreasonable or plainly unjust".
- Accepting
that to be a principled approach, the question remains whether the applicant has
made good his challenge to the aggregate
sentence imposed in this case as
manifestly excessive. Counsel acknowledged that the question is not whether this
Court would have
imposed an aggregate sentence of the length of the sentence
imposed by the sentencing judge but, rather, whether the aggregate sentence
imposed in this case, a sentence which I accept is at the upper limit of a
notional range, was so excessive as to amount to error.
- The
applicant submitted that despite the sustained and repeated nature of the
offending and the sheer quantity and estimated value
of the property that was
stolen, the degree of notional accumulation between the break, enter and steal
offences has exceeded the
exercise of a sound sentencing discretion having
regard to the applicant's subjective circumstances and, in particular, the fact
that he had no prior criminal record which ought to have afforded him some
leniency which was not reflected in the aggregate sentence
imposed.
- In
two of three cases to which particular reference was made (Watts v R
[2007] NSWCCA 153 and Lewins v R [2007] NSWCCA 189), sentences were
imposed by this Court on re-sentence in accordance with the approach in
Pearce v R [1998] HCA 57; 194 CLR 610 with the actual extent of
accumulation between the individual sentences revealed in the sentencing order.
In the third case (Hernandez v R [2013] NSWCCA 51), sentence was imposed
pursuant to s 53A of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act,
coincidentally by the same sentencing judge who imposed the aggregate sentence
on this applicant.
- The
insertion of s 53A by the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment Act
2010 (NSW) was not intended to alter the application of totality principles.
Rather, it is a procedural provision designed to simplify
the sentencing process
where an offender is to be sentenced for multiple offences and to render the
sentencing exercise more transparent
by requiring a sentence for each offence to
be indicated by the sentencing judge before a single aggregate sentence is
pronounced.
The same principled approach to questions of accumulation and
concurrency in the exercise of the sentencing discretion in fixing
an aggregate
sentence in conformity with totality principles obtains under s 53A of the
Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act as it did under the previous sentencing
regime where an effective sentence was the result of the appointment of
different commencement
dates for individual sentences.
- Although
a far larger cohort of cases was extracted in a schedule attached to the
submissions of the applicant's counsel, the greater
majority of which are not
relevantly comparable and only some of which were the subject of elaboration in
submissions of both counsel,
it is necessary to refer to only three.
- In
Watts, the offender pleaded guilty to eleven offences contrary to s
112(1) of the Crimes Act, three offences contrary to s 113(1) and asked
for 23 further offences to be taken into account. At first instance, he was
sentenced to imprisonment for an effective
term of 11 years with a non-parole
period of 7 years. On appeal, he was re-sentenced to imprisonment for 5 years
with a non-parole
period of 3 years. Unlike the applicant, the offender had an
uncertain and occasionally violent upbringing, and a psychologist opined
that he
had depression and anxiety. He had made suicide attempts and was addicted to
heroin. The Court allowed the sentence appeal
because the value of the goods
stolen by the offender (estimated at $83,000) was "modest" by comparison with
the value of goods stolen
by the offender in Danuca v R [2005] NSWCCA 45
(estimated at $785,000), and because Harrison J (with whom Giles JA and Hidden J
agreed) was satisfied that an "extremely unfortunate
combination of factors
influenced the applicant to commit the offences with which he was charged and to
which he pleaded guilty"
(at [60]). In addition to Danuca, Harrison J
also considered the cases of R v Lay [2006] NSWCCA 45 and R v Johnson
[1999] NSWCCA 431, the offenders in both cases being young (20 years old and
22 years old respectively), both were addicted to drugs and had significant
criminal histories. In those cases, involving 19 offences with 12 offences taken
into account on a Form 1, and 7 offences with 14
offences taken into account on
Form 1 respectively, effective sentences of 5 years and 6 months with a
non-parole period of 3 years
and 6 months, and 6 years with a non-parole period
of 3 years, were imposed after orders for partial accumulation.
- In
Lewins, the offender pleaded guilty to four offences contrary to s 112(1)
of the Crimes Act and sentenced, at first instance, to imprisonment for
an effective term of 10 years with a non-parole period of 7 years. On appeal,
the offender was re-sentenced to imprisonment for an effective term of 8 years
with a non-parole period of 5 years and 6 months.
The offender was a
professional thief and had a criminal record for offences of dishonesty dating
from when he was aged 11. He had
served a period of imprisonment for armed
robbery. He had used drugs from an early age and was addicted to amphetamines
for three
years in his late teens. He was also addicted to gambling. The appeal
was allowed on parity grounds. The co-offender, sentenced for
the same offences
in addition to 68 matters taken into account on a Form 1, was sentenced to an
effective term of 3 years with a
non-parole period of 12 months.
- In
Hernandez, the offender pleaded guilty to seven offences contrary to s
112(1) of the Crimes Act, one offence contrary to s 113(1) and one
offence contrary to s 308E(1), and asked for ten further offences to be taken
into account on a Form 1. Property valued at a total of $136,351 was stolen. The
offender cut cables to disarm alarms and CCTV cameras in commercial premises
before drilling or cutting into safes to access cash.
He had prior convictions
in the USA, including three offences of break, enter and steal and one of
possessing burglary tools. The
offender was sentenced to an aggregate sentence
of 13 years and 6 months with a non-parole period of 9 years. The offender gave
evidence
at the sentence proceedings that he committed the offences because he
had accrued gambling debts and threats had been made to his
wife. The sentence
appeal was dismissed, there being no error in the process of accumulation that
must have been undertaken by the
sentencing judge by which the aggregate
sentence was arrived at. Significantly for the present purposes, the Court
said:
"[43] This Court has observed on a number of occasions (R v
MMK [2006] NSWCCA 272; (2006) 164 A Crim R 481 at 486; Murray v R
[2013] NSWCCA 12) that questions of accumulation and totality are matters
primarily within the discretion of the sentencing judge and this Court will
be
reluctant to intervene. Intervention can occur only on one of the well known
bases for interference with a discretionary exercise:
House v The King
[1936] HCA 40; (1936) 55 CLR 499 at 505.
[44] None of the offences for which the applicant was sentenced contain
overlapping factual elements. That comment does not refer
to the theoretical
elements but to the factual circumstances of the commission of each offence.
[45] In other words, each offence was separate and no part of one offence
overlapped with the other, except in relation to the offence
of impairing
electronic communications, which is ordinarily an aspect of the commission of
certain types of break, enter and steal.
All of the offences of break and enter
(either with intent to steal or to steal) were committed on separate occasions
and involved
separate victims.
...
[49] Moreover, for a total of seven sentences of break, enter and steal, one
sentence of break, enter with intent to steal and one
sentence for impair
electronic communications, which have maximum sentences of 14 years, 10 years
and 10 years respectively, a total
sentence in aggregate of 13 years and 6
months with a non-parole period of 9 years has been imposed. I reiterate that
there were
10 further offences taken into account on a Form 1, which, in the
sentences to which they were relevant, emphasise the need for deterrence.
[50] I accept that none of the offences are in the worst category. The
applicant is not a person who has no criminal history and,
as a consequence of
that, he is not entitled to the leniency afforded a first offender. Nor is the
applicant a person who has not
before spent time in a penal institution.
[51] Notwithstanding the finding by the sentencing judge, with which I do not
cavil, that the applicant has reasonable prospects of
rehabilitation, the
history of the applicant and the circumstances of the offending show that
specific and general deterrence are
significant factors. Yet, the sentencing
judge imposed a sentence on the applicant for nine offences, taking account of a
further
10 on a Form 1, which is less than the maximum sentence for one break,
enter and steal.
[52] In terms of totality of the sentence imposed, the extent of the
accumulation and concurrency were not outside of the range available
to his
Honour in the exercise of the sentencing judge's discretion. For this reason
this ground of appeal also fails."
- The
Crown submitted that despite the applicant's favourable subjective
circumstances, the sentencing judge was entitled to regard
the objective gravity
of the totality of the offending as overwhelming the leniency that might
otherwise have been afforded the applicant
in the appointment of an aggregate
sentence. She further submitted that the sentence ultimately imposed, including
the fact that
a finding of special circumstances resulted in a significant
variation to the statutory ratio under s 44 of the Crimes (Sentencing
Procedure) Act, has not been shown to have exceeded his Honour's legitimate
sentencing discretion or that the authorities referred to compel that
conclusion.
- Although
no complaint is made about the individual sentences (as indicated), the Crown
submitted the fact that they so readily withstood
scrutiny provides strong
support for rejecting the challenge to the aggregate sentence as "unreasonable"
and "plainly unjust".
- I
am not persuaded that the applicant has made good his challenge to the aggregate
sentence as an "outlier" or that the notional accumulation
inherent in the
appointment of the aggregate sentence, although a severe sentence, has breached
totality principles.
- The
order I propose is as follows:
- (1) Leave to
appeal granted.
- (2) Appeal
dismissed.
**********
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