Vaiusu v R [2022] NSWCCA 283

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Vaiusu v R [2022] NSWCCA 283 Hearing dates: 12 August 2022 Date of orders: 15 December 2022 Decision date: 15 December 2022 Before: Kirk JA at [1] Button J at [14] Dhanji J at [15] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal is granted. (2) The appeal is dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence – possession of firearms – supply of drugs – proceeds of crime – offer to surrender firearms in exchange for favourable treatment to brother – purchased after receiving "bags and boxes of cash" – search warrant executed in meantime – undertaking to assist – undertaking contingent on agreement with police – purpose of possession – objective gravity – failure to quantify the reduction in penalty for assistance to authorities – finding that knowledge of illegality increased objective seriousness – resentence – no lesser penalty warranted – appeal dismissed CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence – nature of review for error in an appeal about sentencing pursuant to ss 5(1)(a) and 6(3) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) – error need not be jurisdictional – effect of s 23(6) of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Act – requisite significance of error to demonstrate miscarriage of discretion WORDS AND PHRASES – "undertaking to assist" Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 193B(2), 193B(4) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), Part IB, ss 16A, 21E Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 5(4), 10A, 22(4), 23, 44(3), 45(4), 48(3), 50(3), 54B(7), 54C(2), 100B(2), 101A Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), ss 5(1)(a), 5(1)(c), 5DA, 6(3) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), s 166 Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW), s 25(2) Firearms Act 1996 (NSW), s 51D(2) Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules 2021 (NSW), r 3.5(5) Cases Cited: Basedow v R [2010] NSWCCA 76 Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571; [2013] HCA 37 CC v R; R v CC (2021) 289 A Crim R 453; [2021] NSWCCA 71 De Campos v Regina [2006] NSWCCA 51 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Ibbotson (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 92 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Lehn v R (2016) 93 NSWLR 205; [2016] NSWCCA 255 R v Cartwright (1989) 17 NSWLR 243 R v Fernando (1992) 76 A Crim R 58 R v Gallagher (1991) 23 NSWLR 220 R v Matthews [1950] 1 All ER 137 Regina v Stavropoulos [2007] NSWCCA 333 Sumrein v R [2019] NSWCCA 83 SY v R [2020] NSWCCA 320 Taylor v R [2018] NSWCCA 50 Waterways Authority v Fitzgibbon (2005) 79 ALJR 1816; [2005] HCA 57 Texts Cited: Macquarie Dictionary, online ed, December 2022 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Peter Vaiusu (Applicant) Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: P Lange (Applicant) S Traynor (Respondent)