Gregg v R [2020] NSWCCA 245

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Gregg v R [2020] NSWCCA 245 Hearing dates: 22-24 April 2020 Decision date: 30 September 2020 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Hoeben CJ at CL at [712]; Leeming JA at [713] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed. (2) Quash the verdict of guilty on each count of the indictment dated 9 May 2017 and enter a verdict of acquittal on each count. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – unreasonable verdict – offences contrary to s 1307(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (NSW) – sham agreement – whether sufficient evidence of the parties' intentions and knowledge to convict – whether Crown able to exclude a particular hypothesis beyond reasonable doubt CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – miscarriage of justice – prosecutor's closing address – rhetorical questions – obligation of prosecutor – references to "no evidence" – reversal of onus of proof CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – miscarriage of justice – written summing up – whether trial judge's summing up presented the case for each party in a fair and balanced manner CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – error of law – evidence – relevance – opinion evidence – whether trial judge erred in admitting evidence CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – error of law – evidence – relevance – authenticity of a document – whether trial judge erred in refusing to admit evidence – National Australia Bank Ltd v Rusu not followed CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – error of law – jury directions – change in Crown case – definition of "false" in the context of sham – direction on sham – direction as to who was the directing mind of a company CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – error of law – jury directions – question trail which was said to require "yes" or "no" answers – direction that the jury needed only to be satisfied that the Crown case was reasonable – reversal of the burden of proof CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – error of law – whether trial judge erred in refusing to give a Mahmood direction CRIME – appeals – appeal against conviction – verdict of acquittal substituted Legislation Cited: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Cases Cited: Antov v Bokan [2018] NSWSC 1474 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Air New Zealand (No 1) (2012) 207 FCR 448; [2012] FCA 1355 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v ActiveSuper Pty Ltd (in liq) (2015) 235 FCR 181; [2015] FCA 342 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rich [2005] NSWSC 417; 216 ALR 320 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Westpac Banking Corporation (No 2) [2018] FCA 751; (2018) 127 ACSR 110 Australian Securities Commission v Marlborough Gold Mines Ltd (1993) 177 CLR 485; [1993] HCA 15 Bank of Valletta PLC v National Crime Authority (1999) 90 FCR 565; [1999] FCA 1099 Bilta (UK) Ltd (in liq) v Nazir (No 2) [2016] AC 1 Budrodeen v R [2014] NSWCCA 332 Burrell v R [2009] NSWCCA 193 Capital Securities XV Pty Ltd v Calleja [2018] NSWCA 26 Chiro v The Queen (2017) 260 CLR 425; [2017] HCA 37 Coshott v Prentice (2014) 221 FCR 450; [2014] FCAFC 88 Daw v Toyworld (NSW) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 25 Dickson v R (2017) 94 NSWLR 476; [2017] NSWCCA 78 Domican v The Queen (1992) 173 CLR 555; [1992] HCA 13 DPP v Pinn [2015] NSWSC 1684 El Ajou v Dollar Land Holdings PLC [1994] 2 All ER 685 Environment Protection Authority v Truegain Pty Ltd (2013) 85 NSWLR 125; [2013] NSWCCA 204 Environmental Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation Ltd (1997) 98 A Crim R 481 Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Glengallan Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 471; [2004] HCA 55 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Cassaniti (2018) 266 FCR 385; [2018] FCAFC 212 Fennell v The Queen [2019] HCA 37; (2019) 93 ALJR 1219 Gilham v R [2012] NSWCCA 131 Hadchiti v R (2016) 93 NSWLR 671; [2016] NSWCCA 63 Hamilton v Whitehead (1988) 166 CLR 121; [1988] HCA 65 Hannes v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (No 2) [2006] NSWCCA 373; 60 ACSR 1 Johnson v Miller (1937) 59 CLR 467; [1937] HCA 77 Jones Lang LaSalle (NSW) Pty Ltd v Taouk [2012] NSWCA 342 Justins v R (2010) 79 NSWLR 544; [2010] NSWCCA 242 La Trobe Capital & Mortgage Limited v Hay Property Consultants Pty Ltd (2011) 190 FCR 299; [2011] FCAFC 4 Lewis v Condon (2013) 85 NSWLR 99; [2013] NSWCA 204 Libke v The Queen (2007) 230 CLR 559; [2007] HCA 30 Lithgow City Council v Jackson (2011) 244 CLR 352; [2011] HCA 36 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63. Mahmood v The State of Western Australia (2008) 232 CLR 397; [2008] HCA 1 McKell v The Queen (2019) 264 CLR 307; [2019] HCA 5 Meridian Global Funds Management Asia Ltd v Securities Commission [1995] 2 AC 500 Miles v Bull (1969) 1 QB 258 Montgomery v Stewart (1967) 116 CLR 220; [1967] HCA 11 Moore v R [2016] NSWCCA 185 Moulin Global Eyecare Trading Ltd (in liq) v Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2014] HKCFA 22 National Australia Bank Ltd v Rusu (1999) 47 NSWLR 309; [1999] NSWSC 539 O'Meara v Dominican Fathers [2003] ACTCA 24; 153 ACTR 1 Pell v R [2020] HCA 12; (2020) 94 ALJR 394 Picken v R [2007] NSWCCA 319; ARS v R [2011] NSWCCA 266 R v Apostilides (1984) 154 CLR 563; [1984] HCA 38 R v Hillier (2007) 228 CLR 618; [2007] HCA 13 R v MG (2007) 69 NSWLR 20; [2007] NSWCCA 57 R v Micallef [2002] NSWCCA 480; (2002) 136 A Crim R 127 Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) v Graincorp Operations Ltd [2010] NSWCA 317 Rockdale Beef Pty Ltd v Industrial Commission of NSW [2007] NSWCA 128; 165 IR 7 S v The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 266; [1989] HCA 66 Saffron v The Queen (1988) 17 NSWLR 395 Scott v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (No 2) (1966) 40 ALJR 265 Sharrment Pty Ltd v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (1988) 18 FCR 449 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 Snook v London and West Riding Investments Ltd [1967] 2 QB 786 Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass [1972] AC 153 The Bell Group Ltd (In liq) v Westpac Banking Corporation (No 9) (2008) 39 WAR 1; [2008] WASC 239 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Towney v R [2018] NSWCCA 65 Walsh v Tattersall (1996) 188 CLR 77; [1996] HCA 26 Whitehorn v R (1983) 152 CLR 657; [1983] HCA 42 Wood v R (2012) 84 NSWLR 581; [2012] NSWCCA 21 Texts Cited: V Bell, "Documentary Evidence under the Evidence Act 1995 (NSW)" (2001) 5(1) The Judicial Review 1 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Peter Alan Gregg (Appellant) The Crown (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Game SC with J Roy (Appellant) T McDonald SC with M England (Respondent)