R v Underwood (a pseudonym) [2023] NSWDC 309

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Underwood (a pseudonym) [2023] NSWDC 309 Hearing dates: 20 April 2023, 21 June 2023 and 3 August 2023 Date of orders: 3 August 2023 Decision date: 03 August 2023 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Aggregate sentence of imprisonment of 5 years 8 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 3 years Catchwords: CRIME – sexual intercourse with a child knowing she was not consenting – sexual intercourse with child under 16 – sexual touching child under 16 SENTENCE – sentence after trial SENTENCE – relevant factors on sentence – fact finding – young offender – intellectual deficits – impact of offender's neurodevelopment disorder on objective seriousness of offending – testing of evidence from psychologist – diminished moral culpability – youth – impact of custodial sentence – special circumstances – strong pro-social supports – dangers of prison as a negative learning environment – victim impact – victim vindication – need for some retribution Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) Crimes (Amendment) Act 1924 (NSW) Crimes (Girls' Protection) Act 1910 (NSW) Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Cases Cited: Blackman and Walters v R [2001] NSWCCA 121 Cahyadi v R [2007] NSWCCA 1 Camilleri v R [2023] NSWCCA 106 Cargnello v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) [2012] NSWCCA 162 Cheung v The Queen (2001) 209 CLR 1; [2001] HCA 67 Clarke-Jeffries v R [2019] NSWCCA 56 CTM v The Queen (2008) 236 CLR 440; [2008] HCA 25 Decision restricted [2023] NSWCCA 10 DH v R [2022] NSWCCA 200 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 195 DM v R [2005] NSW CCA 181 DPP v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 195 DS v R; DM v R [2022] NSWCCA 156 Hearne v R [2001] NSWCCA 37 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Hoare v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 348 at 354; [1989] HC 33 Hopkins v R [2004] NSWCCA 105 KAB v R [2015] NSWCCA 55 Khoury v R [2011] NSWCCA 118 KT v R [2008] NSWCCA 51 Manojlovic v R; R v Manojlovic [2020] NSWCCA 315 at [192] Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59 at [62] to [63]; [1988] HCA 70 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Munda v Western Australia (2013) 249 CLR 600; [2013] HCA 38 Neal v The Queen (1982) 149 CLR 305; [1982] HCA 55 Nelson v R [2016] NSWCCA 130 Olbrich v The Queen (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 Owen v R [2022] NSWCCA 214 Paterson v R [2021] NSWCCA 273 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295; [1997] HCA 26 Queen v Pham (2015) 256 CLR 550: [2015] HCA 39 R v AJP [2004] NSWCCA 434; (2004) 150 A Crim R 575 R v Alcazar [2017] NSWCCA 51 R v Anderson (1981) VR 155 R v Dodd (1991) 57 A Crim R 349 R v Holder; R v Johnston [1983] 3 NSWLR 245 R v Isaacs (1997) 41 NSWLR 374 R v King [2009] NSWCCA 117 R v MJR (2002) 54 NSWLR 368 R v PGM [2008] NSWCCA 172 R v Rush [2019] NSWDC 773 R v Shortland (2018) NSWCCA 34 R v Simpson [2001] NSWCCA 534; 53 NSWLR 704 R v Way [2004] NSWCCA 131; (2004) 60 NSWLR 168 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267; [2001] HCA 21 Tepania v R [2018] NSWCCA 247 The Queen v De Simoni (1981) 147 CLR 383; [1981] HCA 31 Van Ryn v R [2016] NSWCCA 1 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 Weininger v The Queen (2003) 212 CLR 629; [2013] HCA 14 Yardley and Betts v R (1979) 22 SASR 108 Zreika v R [2012] NSWCCA 44 Texts Cited: "After Muldrock – Sentencing for Standard Non-parole Period Offences" (2012) 24 New South Wales Judicial Officer Bulletin 10 "Does Imprisonment Deter? A Review of the Evidence" (April 2011) Sentencing Advisory Council Victoria W Wan, S Poynton, G Doorn and D Weatherburn, "Parole Supervision and Re-offending" (2016) 149 Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology 497 Category: Sentence Parties: Damien Underwood (a pseudonym) (the offender) Director of Public Prosecutions (the Crown) Representation: Counsel: S Fraser (for the offender)