Sakar v R [2024] NSWCCA 40

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Sakar v R [2024] NSWCCA 40 Hearing dates: 1 December 2023 Date of orders: 15 March 2024 Decision date: 15 March 2024 Before: Simpson AJA at [1] Button J at [130] Weinstein J at [131] Decision: (1) Leave granted to appeal. (2) Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME – Appeals – Appeal against conviction – Where applicant found guilty by jury of common assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent – Where applicant not found guilty of related offences – Whether guilty verdicts unreasonable with regard to available evidence and related not guilty verdicts – Guilty verdicts reasonable – Leave granted, but appeal dismissed CRIME – Appeals – Appeal against direction given to jury by trial judge - Whether trial judge misdirected jury – Where no objection made to direction during trial – Where appeal against direction is strictly protective where identical argument rejected in earlier decision of this Court Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Consent Reforms) Act 2021 (NSW) Cases Cited: Cullen v R [2022] NSWCCA 63 Fleming v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 250; [1998] HCA 68 Gipp v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 106; [1998] HCA 21 Lee v R [2023] NSWCA 203 Longman v The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 79; [1989] HCA 60 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 MFA v The Queen (2002) 213 CLR 606; [2002] HCA 53 Pell v The Queen (2020) 268 CLR 123; [2020] HCA 12 R v Knight (1988) 35 A Crim R 314 R v Markuleski (2001) 52 NSWLR 82; [2001] NSWCCA 290 R v TK (2009) 74 NSWLR 299; [2009] NSWCCA 151 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Simon Sadi Sakar (Applicant) The Crown Representation: Counsel: T Game SC/D Barrow (Applicant) G Newton SC (Crown)