R v Eaton [2023] NSWCCA 125

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Eaton [2023] NSWCCA 125 Hearing dates: 24 May 2023 Date of orders: 07 June 2023 Decision date: 07 June 2023 Before: Hamill J at [1] Lonergan J at [91] Ierace J at [92] Decision: The prosecution appeal under s 5D of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) against the sentence imposed in the District Court on 9 December 2022 is dismissed. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentence – aggravated dangerous navigation occasioning death – prosecution appeal against asserted inadequacy – intensely sad case – death of four year old child – where kayak capsized – respondent extremely intoxicated – child not wearing life jacket – whether judge erred in assessment of objective criminality – erroneous use of personal features of the respondent to reduce assessment from "high" to "mid-range" – parsing of terminology – utility of placing offences on putative scale of objective seriousness – applicability of guideline judgment on dangerous driving to kayaking accident – where error established but sentence appropriate – discretion to dismiss prosecution appeal Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW), s 15A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 30E(3) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 52A, 52B Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5D Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules 2021 (NSW), r 3.5(3) Cases Cited: Bresnahan v R [2022] NSWCCA 288 Buckley v R; R v Buckley [2012] NSWCCA 85 Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571; [2013] HCA 37 Bugmy v The Queen (1990) 169 CLR 525; 1990 [HCA] 18 Camilleri v R [2023] NSWCCA 106 Cargnello v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (2012) 266 FLR 464; [2012] NSWCCA 162 Chandler v R (2023) 103 MVR 392; [2023] NSWCCA 59 CMB v Attorney General for New South Wales (2015) 256 CLR 346; [2015] HCA 9 Director of Public Prosecutions v Abdulrahman [2021] NSWCCA 114 DS v R; DM v R (2022) 109 NSWLR 82; [2022] NSWCCA 156 FL v R [2020] NSWCCA 114 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Kelley v R [2021] NSWCCA 173; (2021) 97 MVR 74 Manojlovic v R; R v Manojlovic [2020] NSWCCA 315 Mulato v R [2006] NSWCCA 282 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Munda v State of Western Australia (2013) 249 CLR 600; [2013] HCA 38 Paterson v R [2021] NSWCCA 273 R v AA [2017] NSWCCA 84 R v Halloun [2014] NSWSC 1705 R v Hernando (2002) 136 A Crim R 451; [2002] NSWCCA 489 R v Hines (No 3) [2014] NSWSC 1237 R v Jurisic (1998) 45 NSWLR 209 R v Reynolds; R v Small [2010] NSWSC 691 R v Whyte (2002) 55 NSWLR 252; [2002] NSWCCA 343 R v Yun [2017] NSWCCA 317 Rossall v R [2021] NSWCCA 200 Sumpton v R [2016] NSWCCA 162 Tepania v R [2018] NSWCCA 247 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Rex (Applicant) Tamarah Marie Eaton (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: M Millward P Krisenthal