GS v R; Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v GS [2022] NSWCCA 65

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: GS v R; Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v GS [2022] NSWCCA 65 Hearing dates: 9 February 2022; last submissions filed 21 February 2022 Date of orders: 1 April 2022 Decision date: 01 April 2022 Before: Payne JA at [1]; Rothman J at [108]; Harrison J at [109] Decision: Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v GS: (1) Set aside the order for the acquittal of GS on the charge of intentionally choking contrary to s 37(1A) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW); (2) Declare that "intentionally chokes" within the meaning of s 37(1A) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) means "intentionally apply pressure to the neck so as to be capable of affecting the breath or the flow of blood to or from the head"; (3) In the exercise of the residual discretion, decline to remit GS to the District Court for a re-trial. GS v R: (1) Dismiss the appeal against conviction and sentence. Catchwords: CRIME — violent offences — choking, suffocation or strangulation — s 37(1A) of the Crimes Act 1900 — meaning of "intentionally chokes" — declaration that "intentionally chokes" means "intentionally apply pressure to the neck so as to be capable of affecting the breath or the flow of blood to or from the head" CRIME — appeals — appeal against directed acquittal — where primary judge directed acquittal for intentional choking — direction based on erroneous construction of "intentionally chokes" — where it was open on the evidence for the jury to find "choking" on its correct construction CRIME — appeals — appeal against conviction — inconsistent verdicts — whether conviction in respect of sequence 4 is inconsistent with acquittal in respect of sequences 1-3 and acquittal by jury in respect of counts 1 and 2 — where evidence of witness in relation to sequence 4 was supported by evidence of bruising — no inconsistency in verdicts CRIME — appeals — appeal against sentence — manifest excess — no error of principle demonstrated CRIME — appeals — discretion not to remit matter for retrial — where accused has served a longer time in prison than the head sentence imposed STATUTORY INTERPRETATION — legislative purpose — s 37(1A) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) — meaning of "intentionally chokes" — context of the provision — where there is clear legislative intention to deter controlling behaviours by perpetrators of family and domestic violence — purpose of provision to prohibit conduct capable of restricting breathing and/or blood flow to or from the head Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (ACT), ss 27(1), 28(2)(a) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 37, 59(1), 86(2)(b), 144(1)(a), 195(1)(a) Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), ss 107, 111(1)(b) Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), s 13(1) Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (ACT) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5AD Criminal Code (Qld), ss 315, 315A Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 165(1), 166(1)(b), 168(1) Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (UK) Offences against the Person Act 1861 (UK) Cases Cited: 2 Elizabeth Bay Road Pty Ltd v The Owners – Strata Plan No 73943 (2014) 88 NSWLR 488; [2014] NSWCA 409 Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (Northern Territory) (2009) 239 CLR 27; [2009] HCA 41 Board of Bendigo Regional Institute of Technical and Further Education v Barclay (2012) 248 CLR 500; [2012] HCA 32 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Ltd v Nash (2016) 93 NSWLR 338; [2016] NSWCCA 37 Cabonne Shire Council v Environment Protection Authority [2001] NSWCCA 280 Certain Lloyd's Underwriters Subscribing to Contract No IH00AAQS v Cross (2012) 248 CLR 378; [2012] HCA 56 Commissioner of Taxation v Shell Energy Holdings Australia Limited [2022] FCAFC 2 Dadley v R [2021] NSWCCA 267 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v Mahamed [2022] NSWSC 147 Doney v The Queen (1990) 171 CLR 207; [1990] HCA 51 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503; [2012] HCA 55 Gilham v R [2012] NSWCCA 131; (2012) 224 A Crim R 22 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Hughes v R [2018] NSWCCA 2 Island Maritime Ltd v Filipowski (2006) 226 CLR 328; [2006] HCA 30 Koloamatangi v R [2020] NSWCCA 52; (2020) 282 A Crim R 160 Landmark Roofing Pty Ltd v SafeWork NSW [2021] NSWCCA 95 Lowndes v The Queen (1999) 195 CLR 665; [1999] HCA 29 MacKenzie v The Queen (1996) 190 CLR 348; [1996] HCA 35 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Obeid v R (2017) 96 NSWLR 155; [2017] NSWCCA 221 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610; [1998] HCA 57 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 R v A2 (2019) 269 CLR 507; [2019] HCA 35 R v AJB [2019] QDC 169 R v Cook (No 3) [2005] ACTSC 126 R v Green (No 3) [2019] ACTSC 96; (2019) 344 FLR 324 R v HBZ (2020) 4 QR 171; [2020] QCA 73 R v LK (2010) 241 CLR 177; [2010] HCA 17 R v PL [2009] NSWCCA 256; (2009) 261 ALR 365 R v XHR [2012] NSWCCA 247 Reysson Pty Ltd v Minister Administering the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 [2020] NSWCA 281; (2020) 247 LGERA 277 Scott v Northern Territory of Australia [2005] NTSC 29 TK v The Queen (2009) 74 NSWLR 299; [2009] NSWCCA 151 Will v Brighton (2020) 104 NSWLR 170; [2020] NSWCA 355 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Texts Cited: Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 (NSW) Margaret Stark (ed), Clinical Forensic Medicine: A Physician's Guide (4th ed, 2020, Springer) New South Wales, Domestic Violence Death Review Team, Report 2015-2017, (2017) New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 17 October 2018 Queensland Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 2 December 2015 Rory Kelly and David Ormerod, "Non-fatal strangulation and suffocation" (2021) 7 Criminal Law Review 532 Susan Edwards, "The strangulation of female partners" (2015) 12 Criminal Law Review 949 Category: Principal judgment Parties: GS v R: GS (Appellant) Crown (Respondent)