Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of NSW v Louise Lyel (aka Louise Convy) [2020] NSWSC 1760

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of NSW v Louise Lyel (aka Louise Convy) [2020] NSWSC 1760 Hearing dates: 30 November 2020 Date of orders: 8 December 2020 Decision date: 08 December 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Schmidt AJ Decision: I order that Ms Lyel is: (1) Guilty of the contempt charged. (2) Sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 4 months commencing today 8 December 2020 and concluding 7 April 2021, when she is entitled to be released. Catchwords: CONTEMPT – Criminal contempt – Contumacious of the authority of the Court — Deliberately misleading the Court – Where the defendant provided the Court with false emails purporting to be from the owners of a property consenting to the stay of eviction orders against her Sentencing considerations – General and specific deterrence – No genuine contrition – Where defendant continued to advance false evidence in Court –Offence not out of character – History of offences involving deception – Impact of mental illness – Where defendant suffered long history of abuse and mental health problems Penalties – Discretion to impose term of imprisonment – No other penalty appropriate in the circumstances Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) ss 117, 192E(1)(a), (b) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), ss 135.2(1), 136.1 Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 (NSW), s 32 Supreme Court Rules1970 (NSW), Pt 55 r 13 Cases Cited: Australian Consolidated Press Ltd v Morgan (1965) 112 CLR 483 Coles v R [2016] NSWCCA 32 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1 Director of Public Prosecutions v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1987) 8 NSWLR 732 Dowling v Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (2018) 99 NSWLR 229; [2018] NSWCA 340 Hawkesbury City Council v Kara-Ali (No 3) [2019] NSWLEC 55 Her Majesty's Attorney General v Smith [2008] EWHC 250 Lewis v Ogden (1984) 153 CLR 682 at 693; (1984) 53 ALR 53 at 64 Lyel v Hunt-Sharp [2016] NSWSC 562 Lyel v Rascoe (N Adams J, 20 April 2016) Maslen v Official Receiver (1947) 74 CLR 602; [1947] ALR 489 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120 R v Henry (1999) 46 NSWLR 346; [1999] NSWCCA 111 R v Pangallo (1991) 56 A Crim R 441 Regina v Matthews (2004) 145 A Crim R 445; [2004] NSWCCA 112 Registrar, Court of Appeal v Maniam [No 2] (1992) 26 NSWLR 309 Ronowska v Kus (No 2) (2012) 221 A Crim R 261; [2012] NSWSC 817 Wood v Staunton (No 5) (1996) 86 A Crim R 183 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of NSW (Plaintiff) Louise Lyel (aka Louise Convy) (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Kell SC (Plaintiff) A Bonnor (Plaintiff) L Fermanis (Defendant) Solicitors: The Crown Solicitors (Plaintiff) Insight Legal Solutions Pty Ltd (Defendant) File Number(s): 2019/404368