Collins v R [2020] NSWCCA 198

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Collins v R [2020] NSWCCA 198 Hearing dates: 5 June 2020 Decision date: 10 August 2020 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; Wilson J at [93]; N Adams J at [94] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal on ground 1. (2) Allow the appeal against conviction. (3) Quash the convictions on counts 1, 2 and 6 and in lieu thereof enter verdicts of acquittal on those counts. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – unreasonable verdict – multiple charges of sexual offences against same child complainant – where only direct evidence of offending was complainant's complaint and testimony – where jury acquitted applicant of 3 counts and convicted of 3 counts – whether acquittals necessarily diminished the overall credibility of the complainant's evidence such that remaining convictions could not reasonably be supported and accordingly were not "open" to the jury. Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), ss 5, 6 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 61M, 66C Cases Cited: AH v R [2019] NSWCCA 152 Cabot (a pseudonym) v R [2018] NSWCCA 265 Chen v DPP (2011) 83 NSWLR 224; [2011] NSWCCA 205 Gilbert v R (2000) 201 CLR 414; [2000] HCA 15 IMM v R (2016) 257 CLR 300; [2016] HCA 14 Jones v The Queen (1997) 191 CLR 439 Kurdi v R [2011] NSWCCA 179 Lane v R (2018) 265 CLR 196; [2018] HCA 28 Longman v The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 79; [1989] HCA 60 MacKenzie v R (1996) 190 CLR 348; [1996] HCA 35 MFA v The Queen (2002) 213 CLR 606; [2002] HCA 53 Nguyen v R [2017] NSWCCA 145 Norris v R [2007] NSWCCA 235 PA v R [2015] NSWCCA 18 Pell v R [2019] VSCA 186 Qualtieri v R [2006] NSWCCA 95; (2006) 171 A Crim R 463 R v ACK [2000] NSWCCA 180 R v Crisologo (1997) 99 A Crim R 178 R v J (No 2) [1998] 3 VR 602 R v Kirkman (1987) 44 SASR 591 R v KRL [2007] NSWCCA 354 R v TK (2009) 74 NSWLR 299; [2009] NSWCA 151 Roos v R [2019] NSWCCA 67 TB v R [2019] NSWCCA 224 Xu v R [2019] NSWCCA 178 XY v R (2013) 84 NSWLR 363; [2013] NSWCCA 121 Youkhanis v R [2014] NSWCCA 220 R v Markuleski (2001) 52 NSWLR 82; [2001] NSWCCA 290 Ganiji v R [2019] NSWCCA 208 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Collins (Applicant) Regina (Crown) Representation: Counsel: