Toohey v R [2020] NSWCCA 166

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Toohey v R [2020] NSWCCA 166 Hearing dates: 18 March 2020 Date of orders: 17 July 2020 Decision date: 17 July 2020 Before: Leeming JA and Rothman J at [1] N Adams J at [32] Decision: (1) To the extent necessary, extend the time within which to appeal. (2) Grant leave to appeal. (3) Appeal allowed. (4) Quash the finding of guilt made by the District Court on 9 November 2018. (5) Order that there be a new trial. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – appeal – appeal against conviction – sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years of age – extensive medical evidence – post-mortem findings – judge alone trial – onus of proof – adequacy of reasons – interpretation of certain injuries – unreasonable verdict Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW), 15A Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 61HA, s 66A(2) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5(1), s 5D Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), s 131, s 132, s 133 Cases Cited: AK v Western Australia (2008) 232 CLR 438; [2008] HCA 8 Alchin v Daley [2009] NSWCA 418 Barca v The Queen (1975) 133 CLR 82; [1975] HCA 42 Beale v Government Insurance Office of NSW (1997) 48 NSWLR 430 CJ v Regina [2012] NSWCCA 258 Decision restricted [2017] NSWSC 846 DL v The Queen [2018] HCA 26; 92 ALJR 636 Douglass v The Queen [2012] HCA 34; (2012) 290 ALR 699 Filippou v The Queen (2015) 256 CLR 47; [2015] HCA 29 Fleming v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 250; [1999] HCA 68 Goodrich Aerospace Pty Ltd v Arsic [2006] NSWCA 187 Hopgood v R [2019] NSWCCA 246 Lane v R [2013] NSWCCA 317 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 O'Leary v The King (1946) 73 CLR 566; [1946] HCA 44 R v Toohey [2019] NSWCCA 182 R v Toohey (No 2) [2017] NSWSC 1217 Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573; [1990] HCA 56 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Spies v The Queen (2000) 201 CLR 603; [2000] HCA 43 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Towney v R [2018] NSWCCA 65 Trevor Essex v R [2013] NSWCCA 11 W v R [2014] NSWCCA 1 Wade v R [2018] NSWCCA 85 Wiki v Atlantis Relocations (NSW) Pty Ltd (2004) 60 NSWLR 127; [2004] NSWCA 174 Wood v The Queen (2012) 84 NSWLR 58; [2012] NSWCCA 21 Texts Cited: Geoffroy Lorin de la Grandmaison, Laurence Watier, Jean-Claude Alvarez and Philippe Charlier, 'Rectal Wall Hemorrhage in Hanging Autopsy Cases' (2012) 14 Legal Medicine 172-176 Friedrich Schulz , Hansjörg Schäfer, Klaus Püschel, Michael Tsokos, Bernd Brinkmann and Claas T Buschmann 'Bowel Wall Hemorrhage After Death by Hanging' (2011) 125 International Journal of Legal Medicine 403-410 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Brendan Toohey (Applicant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr J Trevallion with Ms N Bennett (Applicant) Mr G Newton (Respondent)