R v Spinks [2021] NSWSC 649

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Spinks [2021] NSWSC 649 Hearing dates: 12 May 2021 Date of orders: 10 June 2021 Decision date: 10 June 2021 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Hamill J Decision: Sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 20 years and 10 months, with a non-parole period of 15 years and 7 months. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW - sentence - murder - premeditated shooting - 12 gauge shotgun discharged at close range - assessment of objective criminality - aggravating and mitigating factors - whether intention to kill - planning - disregard for public safety - placing another person's life at risk - where offender the victim of earlier stabbing - where deceased and offender friends - where deceased committed home invasion on offender - knife used - post-traumatic stress disorder - impact on moral culpability - facilitation of course of justice Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 18, 21A, 22A, 28, 54A Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 191 Cases Cited: Cargnello v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) [2012] NSWCCA 162 Droudis v R [2020] NSWCCA 322 Ghamraoui v R [2009] NSWCCA 111 Isaacs v R (1997) 41 NSWLR 374; 90 A Crim R 587 Milat v R; Klein v R [2014] NSWCCA 29 R v Ancuta [2005] NSWCCA 275 R v Feroz; R v Ho; R v Hoang; R v Nguyen; R v Trinh [2020] NSWSC 341 R v Pilley (1991) 56 A Crim R 202 R v Sumpton (No. 4) [2015] NSWSC 684 R v Tuala [2015] NSWCCA 8 Z v R [2015] NSWCCA 274 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina Matthew Henry Spinks Representation: Counsel: D Scully (Regina) J Manuell SC (Spinks)