Chu v R [2023] NSWCCA 13

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Chu v R [2023] NSWCCA 13 Hearing dates: 12 September 2022 Date of orders: 15 February 2023 Decision date: 15 February 2023 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; Harrison J at [2]; Hamill J at [3] Decision: (1) Application for leave to appeal granted. (2) Appeal allowed. (3) The aggregate sentence imposed in the District Court on 21 May 2021 is quashed and in lieu thereof: (a) For sequences 9, 15, 22 and 23, the applicant is sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 7½ years commencing on 16 April 2020 and expiring on 15 October 2027, with a non-parole period of 5 years expiring on 15 April 2025. (b) For sequences 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48, pursuant to s 10A of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), the applicant is convicted but there is no further penalty. (c) The applicant is eligible for release to parole at the conclusion of the non-parole period. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – large commercial drug supply – where offender suffering depressive illness – relevance to sentencing – moral culpability – deterrence – whether sentencing Judge failed to take into account – assessment of objective criminality – applicant's role limited to "warehousing" drugs over a period of about a month – limited financial reward Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 10A, 21A(3), 32, 53A(2)(b) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), s 166 Cases Cited: Abbas v R [2013] NSWCCA 115; (2013) 231 A Crim R 413 Berryman v R [2017] NSWCCA 297 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 DPP (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 DS v R; DM v R [2022] NSWCCA 156 Egan v R [2017] NSWCCA 206 Elsaj v R [2017] NSWCCA 124 Glare v R [2015] NSWCCA 194 Ibbotson (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 92 Lowndes v The Queen (1999) 195 CLR 665; [1999] HCA 29 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 PG v R [2017] NSWCCA 179; (2017) 268 A Crim R 61 Prince v R [2020] NSWCCA 268 R v Champion (1992) 64 A Crim R 244 R v Chu [2021] NSWSDC 328 R v Henry (1999) 46 NSWLR 346; [1999] NSWCCA 111 R v Israil [2002] NSWCCA 255 R v Letteri (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 18 March 1992, unrep) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Quoc Toan Chu (Applicant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: S Odgers SC (Applicant) E Nicholson (Respondent)