R v Cage; R v Lowcock; R v Stamp [2024] NSWSC 78

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Cage; R v Lowcock; R v Stamp [2024] NSWSC 78 Hearing dates: 29 January 2024 Date of orders: 05 February 2024 Decision date: 09 February 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Yehia J Decision: (1) Count 4 is severed from the indictment. (2) I order a separate trial in relation to count 4 to be conducted at Newcastle District Court on a date to be fixed. (3) I adjourn count 4 for mention at Newcastle District Court on 14 March 2024 with the accused excused on that day if legally represented. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW — joinder of counts — severance of counts — whether offences arose out of same set of circumstances — s 29 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) — where one count relates to an allegation of aggravated sexual assault wholly unrelated to an allegation of murder — where proof of count 4 is wholly irrelevant to proof of other counts — the interests of justice — application of s 29(2) and s 29(3) of the CPA on indictment — application of s 21(2)(b) of the CPA on indictment — whether joinder of count 4 results in a "positive injustice" to co-accused Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 61J(1) Crimes (Local Courts Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 3, 29(1), 29(2), 29(3), 290A, 291, 294(3)(a), 294C(1), 294CB Criminal Procedure Amendment (Justices and Local Courts) Act 2001 (NSW) (repealed) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 165 Justices Act 1902 (NSW), s 78A (repealed) Justices (Amendment) Act 1987 (NSW) Justices Legislation Repeal and Amendment Act 2001 (NSW) (repealed) Cases Cited: Antov v Bokan (No 2) (2019) 101 NSWLR 142; [2019] NSWCA 250 Domican v R (1989) 43 A Crim R 24 DS v R [2023] NSWCCA 151 Francis Travel Marketing Pty Ltd v Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd (1996) 39 NSWLR 160 FX v R; GX v R [2020] NSWCCA 189; 209 A Crim R 31 Kentwell v R (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 McNamara v the King [2023] HCA 36 Osman v R [2006] NSWCCA 196 R v Abdaly; R v Hosseinishoja (No 4) [2022] NSWSC 1529 R v Bikic [2000] NSWCCA 106; 112 A Crim R 300 R v CE [2005] NSWCCA 326 R v Christou [1997] AC 117 R v Darwiche [2006] NSWSC 929 R v Early (No 4) [2023] NSWSC 505 R v Hawkins; R v Garland [2023] NSWSC 1201 R v Karimi; R v Khoury; R v Mir (No 1) [2013] NSWSC 156 R v Qaumi & Ors (No 3) (Severance and Separate Trial) [2016] NSWSC 15 R v Roach [2019] NSWCCA 160; 344 FLR 429 Webb v R (1994) 181 CLR 41; [1994] HCA 30 Texts Cited: Criminal Procedure Amendment (Justices and Local Courts) Bill 2001 (NSW) Explanatory Note, Criminal Procedure Amendment (Justices and Local Courts) Bill 2001 (NSW) Explanatory Note, Justices (Amendment) Bill 1987 (NSW) Justices (Amendment) Bill 1987 (NSW) Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 11 November 1987 Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 4 December 2001 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Rex (Crown) Elijah Cage (Accused) Max Vincent Lowcock (Accused) Tyson George Stamp (Accused) Representation: Counsel: L Shaw (Crown) A Webb (E Cage) L Rowan (M Lowcock) P Krisenthal (T Stamp)