Frew v R [2022] NSWCCA 165

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Frew v R [2022] NSWCCA 165 Hearing dates: 13 April 2022 Date of orders: 13 April 2022 Decision date: 05 August 2022 Before: Brereton JA at [1]; Garling J at [66]; Hamill J at [77]. Decision: 1. Leave to appeal be granted; 2. The appeal be allowed; 3. The conviction of the applicant in the District Court on 3 March 2021 and consequent sentence imposed on 2 July 2021 be quashed; 4. There be substituted a verdict of acquittal; and 5. The applicant be released from custody forthwith. Catchwords: CRIME – Appeals – Appeal against conviction – Unreasonable verdict – Where direct evidence only available from conflicting accounts of complainant and accused – Where trial judge gave self Liberato direction and then rejected accused's evidence – Finding that having regard to the whole of the evidence, accused's account cannot be set aside as not a reasonably possible version of events, and thus a reasonable doubt as to his guilt is entertained – Held that trial judge enjoyed no relevant advantage over appellate court and thus ought to have entertained the same reasonable doubt – Conviction and sentence quashed and substituted with verdict of acquittal Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 61I Cases Cited: Atai v R [2014] NSWCCA 210 Bell v R [2017] NSWCCA 207 De Silva v The Queen (2019) 268 CLR 57; [2019] HCA 48 Dickson v The Queen (2017) 94 NSWLR 476; [2017] NSWCCA 78 Filippou v The Queen (2015) 256 CLR 47; [2015] HCA 29 Fleming v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 250; [1998] HCA 68 Ford v R [2020] NSWCCA 99 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Galea v Galea (1990) 19 NSWLR 263 Gittany v The Queen [2016] NSWCCA 182 Hodgson v R [2022] NSWCCA 22 Liberato v The Queen (1985) 159 CLR 507; [1985] HCA 66 Libke v The Queen (2007) 230 CLR 559; [2007] HCA 30 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Manojlovic v R; R v Manojlovic [2020] NSWCCA 315 Maughan v R [2020] NSWCCA 51 Murray v The Queen (2002) 211 CLR 193; [2002] HCA 26 Pell v The Queen (2020) 268 CLR 123; [2020] HCA 12 Prouten v Chapman [2021] NSWCA 207 R v Holden [2014] NSWCCA 230 Rao v R [2019] NSWCCA 290 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 Smith v R [2019] NSWCCA 162 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Alexander Frew (Applicant) The Crown (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr T Game SC with Ms A Cook (Applicant) Mr G Newton (Crown)