SC v R [2023] NSWCCA 60

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: SC v R [2023] NSWCCA 60 Hearing dates: 21 September 2022 Date of orders: 22 March 2023 Decision date: 22 March 2023 Before: Beech-Jones CJ at CL at [1] Price J at [71] Yehia J at [77] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal granted (2) The appeal is allowed (3) The conviction of the applicant in the District Court on 10 November 2020 in respect of counts 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 is quashed (4) In lieu thereof, enter a verdict of acquittal in respect of counts 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 Catchwords: CRIME – APPEALS – Appeal against conviction – Aggravated sexual and indecent assaults – Whether discrepancies, inconsistencies and other inadequacies in the evidence significantly undermined the complainant's credibility – Whether the jury ought to have entertained reasonable doubt as to proof of guilt – Unreasonable verdict – Appeal allowed – Convictions quashed – Verdicts of acquittal Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) ss 66C(2), 61J(1), 61O(1), Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) ss 6(1) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), s 293 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 32, 38 Cases Cited: AJ v R [2022] NSWCCA 136 Aouad and El-Zeyat v R [2011] NSWCCA 61 AS v R [2022] NSWCCA 291 AS v R [2022] NSWCCA 291 Coughlan v The Queen (2020) 267 CLR 654; [2020] HCA 15 Dansie v The Queen (2022) 96 ALJR 728; [2022] HCA 25 Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v Presnell [2022] NSWCCA 146 Gallagher v The Queen (1986) 160 CLR 392 Green v The King (1939) 61 CLR 167; [1939] HCA 4 JN v R [2019] NSWCCA 287 JN v R [2019] NSWCCA 287 Khoury v R [2011] NSWCCA 118 Lawless v The Queen (1979) 142 CLR 659; [1979] HCA 49 Libke v The Queen (2007) 230 CLR 559; [2009] HCA 30 Ly v R; Ngo v R [2021] NSWCCA 272 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Mickelberg v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 259 MRW v R [2011] NSWCCA 260 Pell v The Queen (2020) 268 CLR 123; [2020] HCA 12 R v Abou-Chabake [2004] NSWCCA 356 R v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Ratten v The Queen (1974) 131 CLR 510; [1974] HCA 35 Regina v Gillard (1999) 105 A Crim R 479 Reyne (a pseudonym) v R [2022] NSWCCA 201 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 Xie v R [2021] NSWCCA 1 Xie v R [2022] NSWCCA 185 Category: Principal judgment Parties: SC (Applicant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: P Boulton SC (Applicant) H Roberts SC with W Liu (Respondent)