R v Obbens [2022] NSWCCA 109

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Obbens [2022] NSWCCA 109 Hearing dates: 13 May 2022 Date of orders: 13 May 2022 Decision date: 27 May 2022 Before: Basten AJA at [1]; Hamill and Dhanji JJ at [5]. Decision: Dismiss the Director's appeal against the sentence imposed on William John Obbens in the District Court on 23 February 2022. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – prosecution appeal – asserted inadequacy of sentence – totality – delay in sentencing – community corrections order – where respondent served earlier gaol sentences for similar offending against children – offences committed at around the same time – rehabilitation – lengthy period of non-offending – whether sentence of imprisonment only alternative – where previous sentence fully served – where additional punishment would have been appropriate had offences been dealt with at the same time – not necessary to "reverse engineer" earlier sentence – correct approach to totality – sentence not inadequate Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 5(1), 8, 25AA(3), 33, 87, 88 Cases Cited: Boulton v R (2014) 46 VR 308; [2004] VSCA 342 Cahyadi v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 1; (2007) 168 A Crim R 41 Franklin v R [2013] NSWCCA 122 Johnson v The Queen (2004) 78 ALJR 616; [2004] HCA 15 McIntosh v R [2015] NSWCCA 184 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59; [1988] HCA 70 R v Cattell [2019] NSWCCA 297; (2019) 280 A Crim R 502 R v Hall [2017] NSWCCA 313; (2017) 271 A Crim R 162 R v Jarrold [2010] NSWCCA 69 R v MMK [2006] NSWCCA 272; (2006) 164 A Crim R 481 R v Obbens [2022] NSWDC 47 R v Todd [1982] 2 NSWLR 517 R v Wilson [2005] NSWCCA 219 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267; [2001] HCA 21 Woodward v R [2017] NSWCCA 44 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina (Appellant) William John Obbens (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: M England, E Curran (Appellant) P Tehan QC, P Skinner (Respondent)