Nicolas v R [2021] NSWCCA 89

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Nicolas v R [2021] NSWCCA 89 Hearing dates: 3 August 2020 Decision date: 07 May 2021 Before: McCallum JA at [1]; Button J at [2]; Ierace J at [3] Decision: (1) Application for extension of time to seek leave to appeal against sentence granted; (2) Leave to appeal against sentence granted; (3) Appeal allowed; (4) Set aside the sentence imposed in the District Court on 21 June 2017 and in lieu thereof sentence the applicant to a term of imprisonment of 14 years and 5 months to commence on 3 December 2014 and expiring on 2 May 2029, with a non-parole period of 9 years; (5) The applicant will be first eligible for release on parole on 2 December 2023. Catchwords: CRIME – Appeals – Appeal against sentence – Commonwealth offence – Importation of commercial quantity of border-controlled drug – Whether error in declining to take into account utilitarian value of guilty plea – Xiao error – Application for leave filed out of time Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), s 16A Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 10 Cases Cited: Abreu v The Queen [2020] NSWCCA 286 Assi v R [2006] NSWCCA 257 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Huang v The Queen (2018) 332 FLR 158; [2018] NSWCCA 70 Johnson v R [2017] NSWCCA 53 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Ourdi v R (2009) 193 A Crim R 381; [2009] NSWCCA 46 R v Borkowski (2009) 195 A Crim R 1; [2009] NSWCCA 102 R v Thomson (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 RO v R [2019] NSWCCA 183 Turnbull v R [2019] NSWCCA 97 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Xiao v R (2018) 96 NSWLR 1; [2018] NSWCCA 4 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Anthony Najeeb Nicolas (Applicant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T D Anderson (Applicant) A McGrath (Respondent)