Clarke v R [2023] NSWCCA 170

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Clarke v R [2023] NSWCCA 170 Hearing dates: 27 February 2023 Date of orders: 07 July 2023 Decision date: 07 July 2023 Before: Beech-Jones CJ at CL at [1] McNaughton J at [2] R A Hulme AJ at [97] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal granted. (2) Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME – appeal – sentence appeal – whether the sentencing judge erred in determining that each offence fell within mid-range of objective seriousness – whether the sentence was manifestly excessive – sexual offending against very young children – finding of mid-range of objective seriousness was open to the sentencing judge – sentence imposed not unreasonable or plainly unjust – grounds of appeal dismissed. Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) ss 61M, 66A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) s 21A Cases Cited: Adam Jolly v R [2013] NSWCCA 76; (2013) 229 A Crim R 198 Bonwick v R [2010] NSWCCA 177 Chamseddine v R [2017] NSWCCA 176 Corby v R [2010] NSWCCA 146 Cowling v R [2015] NSWCCA 213 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Fuller v R [2022] NSWCCA 203 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Hughes v R [2018] NSWCCA 2 Imbornone v R [2017] NSWCCA 144 Lees v R [2019] NSWCCA 65 Lowndes v The Queen (1999) 195 CLR 665; [1999] HCA 29 Magro v R [2020] NSWCCA 25 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 MH v R [2011] NSWCCA 230 Mulato v R [2006] NSWCCA 282 PWB v R [2011] NSWCCA 84; (2011) 216 A Crim R 305 R v BA [2014] NSWCCA 148 R v Daley [2010] NSWCCA 223 R v Hibberd [2009] NSWCCA 20; (2009) 194 A Crim R 1 R v JJ [2019] NSWCCA 148 R v PGM [2008] NSWCCA 172; (2008) 187 A Crim R 152 R v Qutami [2001] NSWCCA 353; (2001) 127 A Crim R 369 R v Ronald King [2009] NSWCCA 117 RC v R; R v RC [2020] NSWCCA 76 Scott v R [2020] NSWCCA 81 Simpson v R [2014] NSWCCA 23 The Queen v Kilic (2016) 259 CLR 256; [2016] HCA 48 TO v R [2017] NSWCCA 12; (2017) 265 A Crim R 191 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Darrell Charles Clarke (Appellant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: I McLachlan (Appellant) J Styles (Respondent)