R v Nehme, Price, Rahim, Taufahema and Rizk (No 5) [2023] NSWSC 933

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Nehme, Price, Rahim, Taufahema and Rizk (No 5) [2023] NSWSC 933 Hearing dates: 20 February – 10 March 2023 Decision date: 24 February 2023 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Button J Decision: Recorded interview of Mr Nehme to be admitted into evidence Catchwords: CRIME – murder trial – whether recorded interview between arrested suspect and investigating detectives should be admitted into evidence – whether evidence obtained illegally or improperly – where unsuccessful attempts to contact lawyer in the early hours of the morning – whether statutory regime pertaining to arrested persons breached – whether right to silence impugned by persistent questioning by police – evaluative judgment and findings of fact that neither illegality nor impropriety established on either basis – contingent discussion of whether evidence, if obtained illegally or improperly, should nevertheless be admitted in exercise of statutory discretion Legislation Cited: Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW), s 123 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 138 Cases Cited: R v Nehme, Price, Rahim, Taufahema and Rizk [2023] NSWSC 202 R v Nehme, Price, Rahim, Taufahema and Rizk (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 843; R v Nehme, Price, Rahim, Taufahema and Rizk (No 3) [2023] NSWSC 844; R v Nehme, Price, Rahim, Taufahema and Rizk (No 4) [2023] NSWSC 932 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Rex (Crown) Joseph Nehme (Accused) Lisa Anne Price (Accused) Bilal Rahim (Accused) Viliami Bui Taufahema (Accused) Sherene Rizk (Accused) Representation: Counsel: C Taylor (Crown) D Dalton SC (Joseph Nehme) T Quilter (Lisa Anne Price) P Young SC (Bilal Rahim) A Evers (Viliami Bui Taufahema) J Stratton SC with M Fordham (Sherene Rizk)