LN v R [2020] NSWCCA 131

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: LN v R [2020] NSWCCA 131 Hearing dates: 11 March 2020 Date of orders: 17 June 2020 Decision date: 17 June 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; R A Hulme J at [98]; Hamill J at [111] Decision: (1) Grant the applicant leave to appeal from the sentence for murder imposed on her by the Supreme Court.

(2) Allow the appeal and quash the sentence.

(3) Sentence LN to imprisonment for 38 years, to run from 15 September 2014, comprising a non-parole period of 28 years 6 months and a balance of term of 9 years 6 months.

(4) LN will first be eligible for parole on 14 March 2043. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence – murder of own child – mental illness – moral culpability – reduction – relevance to denunciation and deterrence

CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence – objective seriousness – uncharged acts of abuse and assaults preceding death of victim – physical and psychological vulnerability of victim – whether abuse and assaults were aggravating factors

CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence – resentence – child murder – mitigation of moral culpability due to mental illness evidence – comparable cases – standard non-parole period Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 21A, 32, 33, 54A, 54B, 54D; Sch 2, Pt 17, cl 57

Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014 (NSW), cl 214A Cases Cited: Abbas, Bodiotis, Taleb and Amoun v R [2013] NSWCCA 115 AK v R [2016] NSWCCA 238 Aslan v R [2014] NSWCCA 114 Australian Communications and Media Authority v Today FM (Sydney) Pty Ltd (2015) 255 CLR 352; [2015] HCA 7 Baines v R [2016] NSWCCA 132 Baumer v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 51; [1988] HCA 67 Clinton v R [2018] NSWCCA 66 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 DL v R [2018] NSWCCA 302 Einfeld v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 87; 200 A Crim R 1 Fisher v R [2008] NSWCCA 129 Giles v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2009] NSWCCA 308; 198 A Crim R 395 Holyoak v R (1995) 82 A Crim R 502 Kelly v R [2018] NSWCCA 44 Lago v R [2015] NSWCCA 296 Lam v R [2015] NSWCCA 143 Mezher v R [2019] NSWCCA 76 R v CJK (2009) 22 VR 104; [2009] VSCA 58 R v Gommeson [2014] NSWCCA 159 R v GWE (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW),12 March 1997, unrep) R v H (1980) 3 A Crim R 53 R v H (1994) 74 A Crim R 41 R v Hill [2014] NSWSC 1010 R v Holyoak (1995) 82 A Crim R 502. R v Janceski [2005] NSWCCA 288 R v JCW [2000] NSWCCA 209; 112 A Crim R 466 R v JK [2018] NSWSC 250 R v JRD [2007] NSWCCA 55 R v Khazma [2019] NSWSC 416 R v LN; R v AW (No 1) [2017] NSWSC 119 R v LN; R v AW (No. 10) [2017] NSWSC 1387 R v Lock, Thomas [2017] NSWSC 715 R v Maybir (No 8) [2016] NSWSC 166 R v McNaughton (2006) 66 NSWLR 566; [2006] NSWCCA 242 R v Reiner (1974) 8 SASR 102 R v RNS [1999] NSWCCA 122 R v Tadrosse (2006) 65 NSWLR 740; [2005] NSWCCA 145 Ross v R [2016] NSWCCA 176 Siganto v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 656; [1998] HCA 74 SW v R [2013] NSWCCA 103 The Queen v De Simoni (1981) 147 CLR 383; [1981] HCA 31 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988)164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Weininger v The Queen (2003) 212 CLR 629; [2003] HCA 14 Category: Principal judgment Parties: LN (Applicant) The Crown (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Ms G Bashir SC / Ms K Stares (Applicant) Ms H Roberts (Respondent)