R v Lau [2022] NSWCCA 131

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Lau [2022] NSWCCA 131 Hearing dates: 1 June 2022 Date of orders: 24 June 2022 Decision date: 24 June 2022 Before: Adamson J at [1] Bellew J at [2] Lonergan J at [183] Decision: (1) The Crown appeal against sentence is allowed. (2) The aggregate sentence imposed on the respondent in the District Court of New South Wales is quashed. (3) In lieu thereof, the respondent is sentenced to an aggregate term of 15 years imprisonment commencing on 6 November 2019 and expiring on 5 November 2034. (4) Specify a non-parole period of 11 years and 3 months imprisonment, commencing on 6 November 2019 and expiring on 5 February 2031. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – Offences – Sentence – Appeal – Crown appeal asserting manifest inadequacy of sentence – Multiple instances of sexual and related offending committed over a lengthy period of time on eight separate victims – Consistently predatory behaviour on the part of the respondent – Some of the offending planned – Serious breach of a position of trust towards the victims – Aggregate sentence of imprisonment for 10 years imposed with a non-parole period of 6 years and 6 months – Where Crown relied upon latent error – Where errors were identified in the reasons of the sentencing judge but not relied upon by the Crown – Factual errors and omissions – Inadequate reasons – Failure to properly assess the objective seriousness of the offending – Displacement between findings as to objective seriousness and indicative sentences – Brevity of the individual instances of offending of limited relevance – Necessity to apply the correct approach when sentencing for an offence to which a Form 1 attaches – Apparent error in not treating the fact that one episode of offending occurred in the victim's home as an aggravating circumstance – Lack of clarity as to what aggravating circumstances were in fact taken into account – Confusion between matters which are relevant to the assessment of an offender's subjective case and those which might justify a finding of special circumstances – Where the sentence imposed failed to recognise the fundamental purposes of sentencing – Necessity for the Court to intervene in order to maintain public confidence in the criminal justice system – Crown appeal allowed – Sentence quashed and the respondent re-sentenced Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alesbhi v R; Esbhi v R [2018] NSWCCA 30 Attorney General's Application Under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 1 of 2002 Butters v R [2010] NSWCCA 1 CMB v Attorney-General for New South Wales (2015) 256 CLR 346; [2015] HCA 9 Collier v R [2012] NSWCCA 213 Corby v R [2010] NSWCCA 146 Cowling v R [2015] NSWCCA 213 Cranssen v The Queen (1936) 55 CLR 509; [1936] HCA 42 Croxon v R [2017] NSWCCA 213 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 EG v R [2015] NSWCCA 21 Everett v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 295; [1994] HCA 49 Green v The Queen; Quinn v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462; [2011] HCA 49 Griffiths v The Queen (1977) 137 CLR 293; [1977] HCA 44 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 JM v R [2014] NSWCCA 297 Jonson v R [2016] NSWCCA 286 Lai v R [2021] NSWCCA 217 Lowndes v The Queen (1999) 195 CLR 665; [1999] HCA 29 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Matu v R [2019] NSWCCA 23 MLP v R [2014] NSWCCA 183 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Pfitzner v R [2010] NSWCCA 314 R v Cage [2006] NSWCCA 304 R v Carter [2003] NSWCCA 243 R v Daley [2010] NSWCCA 223 R v Egan [2016] NSWCCA 285 R v Elfar [2003] NSWCCA 358 R v Feuerstein [2005] NSWCCA 82 R v Fidow [2004] NSWCCA 172 R v Gavel [2014] NSWCCA 56 R v Harris [2007] NSWCCA 130 R v KNL [2005] NSWCCA 260 R v Matu [2019] NSWCCA 23 R v RMW [2016] NSWCCA 211 R v Simpson (2001), 53 NSWLR 704; [2001] NSWCCA 534 R v Tuuta [2014] NSWCCA 40 R V Van Ryn [2016] NSWCCA 1 R v Wall (2002) 71 NSWLR 692; [2002] NSWCCA 42 R v Wheeler [2000] NSWCCA 34 RJA v R [2008] NSWCCA 137 Suleman v R [2009] NSWCCA 70 Taylor v R [2018] NSWCCA 255 TL v R [2020] NSWCCA 265 Weber v R [2020] NSWCCA 103 Whittaker v The King (1928) 41 CLR 230; [1928] HCA 28 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2011] HCA 64 Yeung v R [2011] NSWCCA 52 Zuffo v R [2017] NSWCCA 187 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina – Appellant Alex Chak Lau – Respondent Representation: Counsel: M England and D Beaufils – Appellant G Huxley – Respondent