R v Dawson [2022] NSWSC 1632

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Dawson [2022] NSWSC 1632 Hearing dates: 10 November 2022 Date of orders: 02 December 2022 Decision date: 02 December 2022 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: Harrison J Decision: Sentenced to imprisonment for 24 years commencing on 30 August 2022 and expiring on 29 August 2046 with a non-parole period of 18 years expiring on 29 August 2040. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentence – murder – murder of wife – where offender killed his wife in order to be free to continue a relationship with his teenage lover – intention to kill – delay – 36 years between commission of the offence and arrest – whether extra curial punishment caused by extraordinary publicity – objectively very serious example of murder – need for general deterrence – good prospects of rehabilitation – 74 year old offender in deteriorating physical and cognitive health – significant likelihood that offender will not survive to become eligible for parole Legislation Cited: Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW), s 25C Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 28, 44(2) Cases Cited: Dawson v R [2021] NSWCCA 117 Katsis v R [2018] NSWCCA 9 Quinn v R [2018] NSWCCA 297 R v Blanco (1999) 106 A Crim R 303; [1999] NSWCCA 121 R v Bunce [2007] NSWSC 469 R v Dawson [2020] NSWSC 1221 R v Dawson [2022] NSWSC 1311 R v Hickson (No 4) [2020] NSWSC 340 R v Smith (No 4) [2011] NSWSC 1082 R v Wilkinson (No 5) [2009] NSWSC 432 Category: Sentence Parties: Rex (Crown) Christopher Michael Dawson (Offender) Representation: Counsel: C M Everson SC and E Blizard (Crown)