Chief Executive Office of Environment and Heritage v Somerville (No 2) [2021] NSWLEC 78

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Chief Executive Office of Environment and Heritage v Somerville (No 2) [2021] NSWLEC 78 Hearing dates: 7 April 2021, 27 May 2021; 21 June 2021 (written submissions) Date of orders: 22 July 2021 Decision date: 22 July 2021 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pain J Decision: See [97] of judgment Catchwords: PROSECUTION – sentencing for multiple (22) offences of possession and harming of bird eggs of protected and threatened species under National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 – pleas of guilty – eggs in defendant's possession collected over many years – not established beyond reasonable doubt that defendant aware that harm to and possession of eggs of threatened bird species – defendant aware that bird eggs in general could not be collected without a licence issued under the National Parks and Wildlife Act – high range of low objective seriousness – mitigating factors of age and health – custodial sentence not appropriate – community correction order made with place restriction condition preventing entry into national park, nature reserve, regional park, state conservation area and wilderness area for 14 months Legislation Cited: Biodiversity Conservation (Savings and Transitional) Regulation 2017 (NSW) reg 58 Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW) Sch 9 Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014 reg 189 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 3A, 5, 8, 17A, 21A, 22, 23, 85, 88, 89, 90, Pt 8A; former s 8 Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) ss 215, 257B, 257G Fines Act 1996 (NSW) s 6 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW) ss 2A, 5; 98, 101, 118A, 118B, 120, Sch 11 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW) ss 3, 4, Pt 2 Div 2 (s 10) Cases Cited: Ahmad v R [2021] NSWCCA 30 BIP v R [2011] NSWCCA 224 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chief Executive Office of Environment and Heritage v Somerville [2019] NSWLEC 155 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae (2009) 197 A Crim R 31; [2009] NSWLEC 137 Environment Protection Authority v Mouawad (No 2) [2020] NSWLEC 166 Environment Protection Authority v Sam Abbas (also known as Osama Abbas) [2021] NSWLEC 57 Fahs v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 26 Garrett v Williams (2006) 160 LGERA 115; [2006] NSWLEC 785 Hewitt v The Queen (2007) 180 A Crim R 306; [2007] NSWCCA 353 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Hoare v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 348; [1989] HCA 33 Johnson v The Queen (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Le v R [2019] NSWCCA 181 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 [2005] HCA 25 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610; [1998] HCA 57 Plath v Chaffey [2009] NSWLEC 196 R v Borkowski (2009) 195 A Crim R 1; [2009] NSWCCA 102 R v Ellis (1986) 6 NSWLR 603 R v MAK (2006) 167 A Crim R 159 R v Mobbs [2005] NSWCCA 371 R v Morabito (1992) 62 A Crim R 82 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 R v Rahme (1989) 43 A Crim R 81 R v Said El Masri [2005] NSWCCA 167 R v Sharma (2002) 54 NSWLR 300; [2002] NSWCCA 142 R v Smith (1987) 44 SASR 587 R v SS [2021] NSWCCA 56 R v Thomson; Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 R v Visconti [1982] 2 NSWLR 104 R v Windle [2012] NSWCCA 222 Secretary, Department of Planning Industry and Environment v Williams [2020] NSWLEC 134 Somerville v Chief Executive Office of Environment and Heritage [2020] NSWCCA 93 Veen v The Queen (1979) 143 CLR 458; [1979] HCA 7 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Texts Cited: Ian Mason and Gilbert Pfitzner, Passions in Ornithology: A Century of Australian Egg Collectors (2020, Ian Mason) NSW Judicial Commission, Sentencing Bench Book (as at 19 July 2021) Category: Sentence Parties: Chief Executive Office of Environment and Heritage (Prosecutor) Anthony Somerville (Defendant) Representation: COUNSEL: W Tuckey (Prosecutor) I Hemmings SC and J Farrell (Defendant) SOLICITORS: Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Prosecutor) File Number(s): 18/340649-52; 18/340654; 18/340656-72