R v Grant [2022] NSWDC 718

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Grant [2022] NSWDC 718 Hearing dates: 15 December 2022, 20 December 2022 Date of orders: 20 December 2022 Decision date: 20 December 2022 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Sentence of six years nine months imprisonment with a non-parole period of three years four months Catchwords: CRIME – Adult maintain an unlawful sexual relationship with a child SENTENCING - Relevant factors on sentence – offending by female school teacher on primary school pupil – multiple acts of indecency and sexual intercourse over 2 year period – delay of over 45 years - significant increase in maximum penalty - impact of retrospective increase in maximum penalty - early guilty plea and acceptance of responsibility – offender otherwise of exemplary good character - offender's choice not to challenge complainant's version of events - no extra curial punishment in media attention – delay - offender's age and ill health - assistance to course of justice- special circumstances - victim vindication – retribution - community abhorrence- need to balance many competing principles – what sentence does common humanity require Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999. Cases Cited: AJB v R (2007) 169 A Crim R 32 Burr v R [2020] NSWCCA 282 Clarkson [2011] VSCA 152 GP (a pseudonym) v R [2021] NSWCCA 180 Hili v The Queen, (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HC 45 Magnussen v R [2013] NSWCCA 50 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59 Paterson v R [2021] NSWCCA 273 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610; [1998] HCA 57 R v Burrell (2000) 114 A Crim R 207 R v Cattell [2019] NSWCCA 297. R v Charlton, unreported NSW CCA 27/2/1976 R v Clarkson [2011] VSCA 152 R v D (1997) 69 SASR 413 R v Daetz [2003] NSWCCA 316 R v Engert (1995) 84 A Crim R 67 R v Fitzgerald {2004] NSWCCA 5; (2004) 59 NSWLR 493. R v Gannon NSWCCA unreported, 19/8/84 R v Gavel [2014] NSWCCA 56 R v Gavel [2014] NSWCCA 56 R v Herring (1956) 73 WN (NSW) 203 R v Holyoak (1995) 82 A Crim R 502 R v Hornhardt [2017] NSWCCA 186 R v Kneedy [2000] NSWCCA 527 R v L, NSWCCA unreported, 17/6/96. R v MJR [2002] NSWCCA 129; (2002) 54 NSWLR 368 R v RB [2022] NSWCCA 142 R v Smith (1987) 44 SASR 587 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 R v Todd [1982] 2 NSWLR 517 R v Towse [2022] NSWCCA 252 R v Van Ryn [2016] NSWCCA 1. R v Wilson (2003) 139 A Crim R 398 Siganto v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 656; [1998] HCA 74 The Queen v Pham (2015) 256 CLR 550: [2015] HCA 39 Wright v R [2008] NSWCCA 91 Xerri v R [2021] NSWCCA 268 Young (a pseudonym) v R [2022] NSWCCA 111 Texts Cited: New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Second Reading Speech, Criminal Legislation Amendment (Child Sexual Abuse) Bill 2018 (NSW) (Hansard), 6 June 2018 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Final Report (2017) Sentencing - New South Wales Law Reform Commission 1999 - Report 79 Sentencing Violent Offenders in NSW South Wales, I Potas, The Law Book C Ltd 1980 The social dynamics and impacts of institutional child sexual abuse D T Kenny Judicial Officer's Bulletin, September 2017, Volume 29 No 8 Category: Sentence Parties: Gaye Grant (the offender) Director of Public Prosecutions Representation: Counsel: Mr R Steward (for the offender) Ms N Keay, Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor