R v Tafuna Taumalolo [2021] NSWSC 1412

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Tafuna Taumalolo [2021] NSWSC 1412 Hearing dates: 15 October 2021 Date of orders: 5 November 2021 Decision date: 05 November 2021 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Davies J Decision: The offender is sentenced to a non-parole period of 14 years and 1 month commencing 26 May 2019 and expiring 25 June 2033 with a balance of term of 4 years and 9 months expiring 25 March 2038. Catchwords: CRIME – sentence – murder – plea of guilty entered – offender charged with five others who have pleaded not guilty – offender and deceased both attendees at a 16th birthday party – offender and co-offenders observed punching kicking and stomping on deceased – apparently random attack – deceased died at scene – offender under influence of drugs and alcohol – objective seriousness slightly below the mid-range – young offender – importance of general deterrence – reasonable prospects of rehabilitation and low risk of reoffending – offender remorseful – relevance of Covid-19 to custodial conditions – no finding of special circumstances - 10% discount for plea entered after committal for trial Legislation Cited: Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 21A, 25D Cases Cited: BP v R [2010] NSWCCA 159; (2010) 201 A Crim R 379 Charbaji v R [2019] NSWCCA 28 Howard v R [2019] NSWCCA 109 KT v R [2008] NSWCCA 51; (2008) 182 A Crim R 571 Lai v R [2021] NSWCCA 217 McKinnon v R [2020] NSWCCA 106 R v Fahda [2013] NSWCCA 86 R v Loveridge [2014] NSWCCA 120 R v Hillsley [2006] NSWCCA 312; (2006) 164 A Crim R 252 R v Mills (Unreported, NSWCCA, 3 April 1995) R v Pocock [2008] NSWSC 1435 R v Qutami [2001] NSWCCA 353; (2001) 127 A Crim R 369 R v Wang [2020] NSWSC 1335 R v Wilson [2005] NSWCCA 112 R v Wong [2010] NSWSC 171 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Principal judgment Parties: Crown Tafuna Taumalolo (Offender) Representation: Counsel: D Daleo & K Marinos (Crown) T Anderson SC (Offender)