El Jamal v R [2021] NSWCCA 105

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: El Jamal v R [2021] NSWCCA 105 Hearing dates: 7 May 2021 Date of orders: 26 May 2021 Decision date: 26 May 2021 Before: Payne JA at [1]; Garling J at [62]; Wright J at [67]. Decision: (1) Leave to appeal granted; (2) Appeal allowed; (3) Sentence imposed on 1 May 2019 quashed and in lieu thereof the applicant is sentenced to imprisonment for 11 years and 2 months to commence on 31 March 2016 with a non-parole period of 7 years and 3 months. The applicant will first be eligible for parole on 29 June 2023. Catchwords: SENTENCING – appeal against sentence – where applicant pleaded guilty to offence of attempting to possess a border controlled drug – where Crown relied on facts which it said proved applicant was running a drug importation operation – where sentencing judge made findings that applicant was running the collection phase of a drug importation operation – whether sentencing judge impermissibly took into account the applicant's complicity in importation by way of aggravation Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), Part IB, ss 16A(1), 16A(2), 16BA, 17A Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), ss 11.1, 307.5(1), 307.6(1) Cases Cited: Attorney General's Application Under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 1 of 2002 (2002) 56 NSWLR 146; [2002] NSWCCA 518 Balloey v R [2014] NSWCCA 165 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v KMD [2015] VSCA 255; (2015) 254 A Crim R 244 DL v The Queen (2018) 265 CLR 215; [2018] HCA 32 El-Ghourani v R [2009] NSWCCA 140; (2009) 195 A Crim R 208 Ibbs v The Queen (1987) 163 CLR 447; [1987] HCA 46 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 R v Bousehjin [2003] NSWCCA 86; (2003) 140 A Crim R 310 R v Ferrer-Esis (1991) 55 A Crim R 231 R v Guiu [2002] NSWCCA 181; (2002) 129 A Crim R 387 R v Lamella [2014] NSWCCA 122 R v Laurentiu (1992) 63 A Crim R 402 R v Lawless (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 24 June 1994, unrep) R v Phelps [2018] NSWCCA 191 R v Tranter (No 2) (2014) 119 SASR 480; [2014] SASCFC 66 The Queen v De Simoni (1981) 147 CLR 383; [1981] HCA 31 The Queen v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 Tu v R [2011] NSWCCA 31; (2011) 205 A Crim R 566 Xiao v R (2018) 96 NSWLR 1; [2018] NSWCCA 4 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Fadi El Jamal (Applicant) Crown (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Game SC with P Lange (Applicant) S Buchen SC with G Westgarth (Crown)