Woodland v R [2023] NSWCCA 216

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Woodland v R [2023] NSWCCA 216 Hearing dates: 21 August 2023 Date of orders: 30 August 2023 Decision date: 30 August 2023 Before: Beech Jones CJ at CL at [1]; Dhanji J at [5]; and Chen J at [77]. Decision: (1) Appeal allowed. (2) The sentence imposed in the Drug Court on 5 May 2023 is quashed. (3) The appellant is sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 14 months with a non-parole period of 9 months to date from 11 December 2022. The non-parole period will expire on 10 September 2023. The total term is due to expire on 10 February 2024. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence imposed in the Drug Court – whether early pleas of guilty taken into account – whether irrelevant consideration taken into account when assessing objective seriousness – appeal allowed – appellant resentenced Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Drug Court Act 1998 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) Cases Cited: Betts v The Queen (2016) 258 CLR 420; [2016] HCA 25 Borri v R [2023] NSWCCA 166 Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571; [2013] HCA 37 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Ltd v Nash (2016) 93 NSWLR 338; [2016] NSWCCA 37 Douglass v The Queen [2012] HCA 34; (2012) 86 ALJR 1086 Edwards v R [2017] NSWCCA 160 Histollo Pty Ltd v Director-General of National Parks & Wildlife Service (1998) 45 NSWLR 661 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Lee, Matthew v R [2016] NSWCCA 146 Lehn v R (2016) 93 NSWLR 205; [2016] NSWCCA 255 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 Towney v R [2022] NSWCCA 289 Waterways Authority v Fitzgibbon [2005] HCA 57; (2005) 79 ALJR 1816 Zeiser v R [2020] NSWCCA 154 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mary Lee Woodland (Appellant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: S Howell (Appellant) E Wilkins SC (Respondent)