Geraghty v R [2023] NSWCCA 47

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Geraghty v R [2023] NSWCCA 47 Hearing dates: 11 November 2022 Date of orders: 13 March 2023 Decision date: 13 March 2023 Before: Basten AJA; Button J; Chen J Decision: (1) Order that the time for filing the Notice of Appeal be extended to 5 May 2022. (2) Dismiss the appeal against conviction. (3) Grant the appellant leave to appeal against the sentence imposed on 28 February 2020. (4) Dismiss the appeal against the sentence. Catchwords: CRIME – appeal – whether trial judge erred in admitting tendency evidence – obligation of appeal court to determine admissibility for itself – time at which admissibility to be determined on appeal – assess at time the trial judge ruled upon the question allowing for clarification as to issues in dispute before evidence was adduced EVIDENCE – intercepted discussion between alleged conspirators – reference to hashish – redaction to avoid suggestion of involvement in earlier importation – whether danger of unfair prejudice – whether that danger outweighed probative value – Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 137 CRIME – sentence – appeal against sentence – no challenge to life sentence – whether non-parole period manifestly excessive – weight given to evidence of age and ill-health – offender likely to die in prison EVIDENCE – tendency evidence – evidence of prior convictions for drug importations – significant probative value – assessment of prejudicial effect – whether probative value substantially outweighs prejudicial effect – gap in offending explained by incarceration – tendency not ephemeral – prejudicial effect where earlier offending similar in kind to charged offences – Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 97(1)(b), 101(2) Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), Pt 1B; ss 16, 16A, 17A, 19AB Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (NSW), s 236A Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5, 10 Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), ss 11.5, 307.1 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 97, 101, 137 Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules 2021 (NSW), rr 3.1, 3.5 Cases Cited: AB v The Queen (1999) 198 CLR 111; [1999] HCA 46 Barbaro v The Queen; Zirilli v The Queen [2012] VSCA 288; 226 A Crim R 354 Betts v Queen (2016) 258 CLR 420; [2016] HCA 25 Carroll v The Queen (2009) 83 ALJR 579; [2009] HCA 13 Dibbs v The Queen (2012) 225 A Crim R 195 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Gulyas v The State of Western Australia [2007] WASCA 263; 178 A Crim R 539 Hanania v R [2012] NSWCCA 220 Harriman v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 590; [1989] HCA 50 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Hughes v The Queen (2017) 263 CLR 338; [2017] HCA 20 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 L v Tasmania (2006) 15 Tas R 381 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 McCartney v The Queen (2012) 38 VR 1 Nguyen v R [2019] NSWCCA 87 R v Achurch (2011) 216 A Crim R 152; [2011] NSWCCA 186 R v Badanjak [2004] NSWCCA 395 R v Bazley (1993) 65 A Crim R 154 R v Ford (2009) 273 ALR 286 R v Holyoak (1995) A Crim R 502 R v LN; R v AW (No 1) [2017] NSWSC 119 R v Neale (2004) 148 A Crim R 493, [2004] NSWCCA 311 R v Newman [2022] NSWCCA 218 R v RLP (2009) 213 A Crim R 461; [2009] VSCA 271 R v Smith (1987) 44 SASR 587 R v Zhang (2005) 158 A Crim R 504 Ragg v R [2022] NSWCCA 150 SB v R [2022] NSWCCA 164 The Queen v Bauer (a pseudonym) (2018) 266 CLR 56; [2018] HCA 40 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Kevin Michael Geraghty (Appellant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr J Stratton SC / Ms T O'Rourke (Appellant) Mr S Flood / Ms A Payten (Respondent)