Benn v R [2023] NSWCCA 24

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Benn v R [2023] NSWCCA 24 Hearing dates: 9 March 2022 Date of orders: 20 February 2023 Decision date: 20 February 2023 Before: Gleeson JA at [1] N Adams J at [189] Ierace J at [200] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal against sentence, including an extension of time to appeal. (2) Appeal allowed in part. (3) The sentence imposed in the District Court on 16 August 2020 is quashed. (4) In lieu thereof, the applicant is sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 35 years commencing on 14 January 2017 with a non-parole period of 26 years 3 months expiring on 13 April 2043, with the balance of term expiring on 13 January 2052. Catchwords: CRIME – Appeals – appeal against sentence – lengthy aggregate sentence for 31 sexual offences against 14 victims – whether error in determination of aggregate sentence – where indicative sentence for one count exceeded maximum penalty for offence – whether error capable of affecting aggregate sentence – requirement to re-sentence given error CRIME – Appeals – appeal against sentence – where multiple victims of sexual offending – whether failure to consider and apply concurrency, accumulation and totality principle – complaint of lack of transparency in aggregate sentence – extent of reasons required to explain degree of notional concurrency and accumulation when imposing aggregate sentence for multiple offences committed against multiple victims CRIME – Appeals – appeal against sentence – whether failure to give reasons – where some indicative non-parole periods less than the relevant standard non-parole period – where some indicative non-parole periods two thirds of the indicative sentences – Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 44 and 54B Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 61I, 61J, 61L, 61N, 66C Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 6(3) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 21A(1), 21A(2)(e)(b), 44, 44(2), 44(2B), 44(2C), 44(3), 53A, 54A, 54B, 54B(5), 101A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment Act 2010 (NSW), Sch 2 Cases Cited: AB v R [2014] NSWCCA 31 Aryal v R [2021] NSWCCA 2 Battersby v R [2018] NSWCCA 141 Beale v R [2015] NSWCCA 120 Berryman v R [2017] NSWCCA 297 Betts v The Queen (2016) 258 CLR 420; [2016] HCA 25 Burgess v R [2019] NSWCCA 13 Cahyadi v R [2007] NSWCCA 1; (2007) 168 A Crim R 41 Chaouk v R [2017] NSWCCA 295 Collier v R [2012] NSWCA 213 Cullen v R [2014] NSWCCA 162 Davidson v R [2022] NSWCCA 153 DH v R [2022] NSWCCA 200 DL v The Queen (2018) 265 CLR 215; [2018] HCA 32 Douar v R [2005] NSWCCA 455 DV v R [2017] NSWCCA 276 Elchiekh v R [2016] NSWCCA 225 Elsaj v R [2017] NSWCCA 124 GW v R [2018] NSWCCA 79 Hall v R [2021] NSWCCA 220 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Ibbotson (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 92 JM v R [2014] NSWCCA 297; (2014) 245 A Crim R 528 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 [2017] NSWCCA 276 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Kliendienst v R [2020] NSWCCA 98 Lee v R [2020] NSWCCA 244 Martin v R [2014] NSWCCA 124 McIntosh v R [2015] NSWCCA 184 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59; [1988] HCA 70 Mohindra v R [2020] NSWCCA 240 Newman (a pseudonym) v R [2019] NSWCCA 157 Ngati v R [2018] NSWCCA 32 Nguyen v The Queen (2016) 256 CLR 656; [2016] HCA 17 Noonan v R [2021] NSFs 61WCCA 35 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610; [1998] HCA 57 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295; [1997] HCA 26 RO v R [2019] NSWCCA 183 R v Brown [2012] NSWCCA 199 R v Holder; R v Johnston [1983] 3 NSWLR 245 R v Lau [2022] NSWCCA 131 R v MAK; R v MSK (2006) 167 A Crim R 159; [2006] NSWCCA 381 R v Simpson (2001) 53 NSWLR 704; [2001] NSWCCA 534 R v Thomson (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 R v Tonari [2014] NSWCCA 232 R v Tuncbilek [2004] NSWCCA 139 R v Van Ryn [2016] NSWCCA 1 SAS Trustee Corporation v Miles (2018) 265 CLR 137; [2018] HCA 55 Sharma v R [2022] NSWCCA 190 SHR v R [2014] NSWCCA 94; (2014) 241 A Crim R 544 Sutton v R [2016] NSWCCA 249 Tepania v R [2018] NSWCCA 247; (2018) 275 A Crim R 233 Tomlinson v R [2022] NSWCCA 16 Tuite v R [2018] NSWCCA 175 Turnbull v R [2019] NSWCCA 97 Vaughan v R [2020] NSWCCA 3 Why v R [2017] NSWCCA 101 ZA v R [2017] NSWCCA 132; (2017) 267 A Crim R 105 Young (a pseudonym) v R [2021] NSWCCA 163 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Andrew James Benn (Applicant) Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Game SC / C Akthar (Applicant) B Hatfield / M Gleeson (Respondent)