Eakin v R [2020] NSWCCA 294

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Eakin v R [2020] NSWCCA 294 Hearing dates: 17 August 2020 Date of orders: 11 November 2020 Decision date: 11 November 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Rothman J at [40]; Price J at [73] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal. (2) Allow the appeal. (3) The sentence imposed by McClintock SC DCJ on 2 August 2019 is quashed. (4) In lieu thereof, the applicant is sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 3 years and 6 months commencing on 8 July 2019 and expiring on 7 January 2023 with a non-parole period of 2 years expiring on 7 July 2021. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentence appeal – Senior Australian Border Force officer – aiding and abetting the importation of tobacco products with the intention of defrauding the revenue – acceptance of a bribe – co-offender's sentence reduced on appeal – whether erroneous sentence of co-offender overturned on appeal can give rise to justifiable sense of grievance – parity – proportionality – whether applicant had a justifiable sense of grievance – re-sentence – whether reduction in non-parole period would produce a manifestly inadequate sentence. Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), s 16A Criminal Code (Cth), ss 11.1(2), 141.1(1), 141.1(3), 400.4(1) Customs Act 1901 (Cth), s 233BABAD(1) Cases Cited: Andrews v Law Society of British Columbia [1989] 1 SCR 143 Chaloner v R [2018] NSWCCA 59 Chen v R; He v R [2018] NSWCCA 95 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Said Kohdor El Karhani (1990) 21 NSWLR 370 Green v The Queen; Quinn v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462; [2011] HCA 49; 86 ALJR 36; 283 ALR 1; 214 A Crim R 152 Hamieh v R [2007] NSWCCA 277 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37; 88 ALJR 947; 313 ALR 451; 238 A Crim R 134 Lin v R [2018] NSWCCA 13 Lowe v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 606; [1984] HCA 46 Merhi v R [2019] NSWCCA 322 Postiglione v R (1997) 189 CLR 295; [1997] HCA 26; 71 ALJR 875; 145 ALR 408; 94 A Crim R 397 R v Gent [2005] NSWCCA 370; 162 A Crim R 29 R v Ilbay [2000] NSWCCA 251 R v Kollas and Mitchell [2002] NSWCCA 491 R v Lamella [2014] NSWCCA 122 Rees v R [2012] NSWCCA 47 Tarrant v R [2018] NSWCCA 21 Texts Cited: A. V. Dicey, "Introduction to the Law of the Constitution", 8th Ed. (1915) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Craig Richard Eakin (Applicant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Ms S Talbert (Applicant) Ms S Callan SC / Ms R McEwen (Respondent)