R v Matthews [2023] NSWDC 611

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Matthews [2023] NSWDC 611 Hearing dates: 11 December 2023 Date of orders: 11 December 2023 Decision date: 11 December 2023 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Aggregate sentence of 12 years imprisonment with a non‑parole period of 9 years Catchwords: CRIME — Apprehended violence orders — Contravene apprehended violence order CRIME — Sexual offences — Aggravated sexual intercourse without consent — Sexual intercourse without consent CRIME — Public justice offences — Do an act with intent to pervert course of justice CRIME — Violent offences — Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm — Choking SENTENCING — Penalties — Imprisonment SENTENCING — Relevant factors on sentence ­— ­ Assessing the seriousness of each offence — No need for abstract descriptors — ­ Specific deterrence — General deterrence — Totality — Objective seriousness — Aggregation SENTENCING — Sentencing procedure — Instinctive synthesis SENTENCING — Subjective considerations on sentence — No finding of special circumstances given length of sentence — Controversial aspects of psychologists report unable to be proved SENTENCING — Aggravating factors — Domestic violence offences — In the family home — Presence of child — Pregnant complainant — Subject to bail – Subject to ADVO — Persistent offending SENTENCING — Mitigating factors — Prosocial support — Family history SENTENCING — Sentencing procedure — Use of character references — Some assertions contradicted by other evidence — Victim impact Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007(NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Cases Cited: Ahmu v R; DPP v Ahmu [2014] NSWCCA 312 Browning v R [2015] NSWCCA 147 Cherry v R [2017] NSWCCA 150 DH v R [2022] NSWCCA 200 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Beattie [2017] NSWCCA 301 Harrigan v R [2005] NSWCCA 449 Kochai v R [2023] NSWCCA 116 Marinellis v R [2006] NSWCCA 307 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 MRM v R [2015] NSWCCA 195 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120; Munda v Western Australia [2013] HCA 38 The Queen v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 Owen v R [2022] NSWCCA 214 R v AJP [2004] NSWCCA 434 R v Burton [2008] NSWCCA 128 R v Cahyadi [2007] NSWCCA 1; 168 A Crim R 41 R v Dunn [2004] NSWCCA 346 R v Giang [2001] NSWCCA 276 R v Harris [2007] NSWCCA 130; 171 A Crim R 267 R v Herring (1956) 73 WN (NSW) 203 R v Pangallo (1991) 56 A Crim R 441 R v Taouk (1992) 65 A Crim R 387 R v Wheeler [2000] NSWCCA 34 R v Windle [2012] NSWCCA 222 R v XX (2009) 195 A Crim R 38 Ryan v The Queen [2001] HCA 21; (2001) 206 CLR 267 Taylor v R [2007] NSWCCA 99 The Queen v Kilic [2016] HCA 48; (2016) 259 CLR 256 Van Ryn v R [2016] NSWCCA 1 Doe v Regina [2013] NSWCCA 248; (2013) 187 A Crim R 328 Category: Sentence Parties: David Richard Matthews (the offender) Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Crown) Representation: Counsel: S Fraser (for the offender) N Keay (for the Crown)