CC v R; R v CC [2021] NSWCCA 71

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: CC v R; R v CC [2021] NSWCCA 71 Hearing dates: 31 March 2021 Decision date: 02 June 2021 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Hoeben CJ at CL at [73]; Adamson J at [74]; Hamill J at [91]; Wilson J at [96] Decision: (1) Grant the applicant leave to appeal against sentence. (2) Dismiss the appeal. (3) Dismiss the Crown appeal against the applicant's sentence. Catchwords: SENTENCING – life sentences – mandatory life sentences for certain offences – murder – whether sentencing judge adopted a two-stage approach to sentencing – Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 61(1) SENTENCING – appeal against sentence – informers – sentence reduced because of assistance to enforcement authorities – where sentencing judge did not distinguish between past and future assistance – Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 23 SENTENCING – appeal against sentence – by Crown against reduced sentence for assistance to authorities – post-sentence conduct – where past assistance given – where failed to fulfil undertaking to give evidence – whether Crown received utilitarian benefit notwithstanding failure to fulfil undertaking – Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5DA Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Cases Cited: Dean v R [2015] NSWCCA 307 (Decision restricted) [2020] NSWSC 946 El-Zeyat v R [2015] NSWCCA 196 House v R (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Knight v R [2006] NSWCCA 292; (2006) 164 A Crim R 126 Markarian v R (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Muldrock v R (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Ngo v R [2013] NSWCCA 142; 233 A Crim R 121 R v Abu-Mahmoud [2020] NSWSC 1260 R v Bell (1985) 2 NSWLR 466 R v Burke [1983] 2 NSWLR 93 R v Douar [2007] NSWCCA 123 R v El-Sayed (2003) 57 NSWLR 659; [2003] NSWCCA 232 R v Harris [2000] NSWSC 285; (2000) 111 A Crim R 415 R v Harris (2000) 50 NSWLR 409; [2000] NSWCCA 469 R v Kilic (2016) 259 CLR 256; [2016] HCA 48 R v MG [2016] NSWCCA 304 R v Miles [2002] NSWCCA 276 R v Quami (Sentence) [2017] NSWSC 774 R v Skuthorpe [2015] NSWCCA 140; (2015) 252 A Crim R 134 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 R v Valera [2002] NSWCCA 50 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Principal judgment Parties: CC (Applicant) The Crown (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: B Rigg SC with S Talbert (Applicant) E Balodis (Respondent)