R v Forster [2024] NSWDC 212

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Forster [2024] NSWDC 212 Hearing dates: 22 April 2024 Date of orders: 22 April 2024 Decision date: 22 April 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Aggregate imprisonment sentence of 3 years and 9 months with a non-parole period of 2 years and 3 months Catchwords: CRIME — Driving offences — Dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm— Failure to stop and assist — Drive mid-range PCA SENTENCING — Aggravating factors — Breach of conditional liberty — Record of previous convictions SENTENCING — Guidelines for sentencing — Role of guidelines SENTENCING — Mitigating factors — Plea of guilty — Remorse SENTENCING — Penalties — Imprisonment SENTENCING — Relevant factors on sentence — Deterrence — General deterrence — Objective seriousness SENTENCING — Sentencing procedure — Instinctive synthesis SENTENCING — Subjective considerations on sentence — Drug and alcohol addiction — Mental disorders — Childhood sexual abuse — Deprived childhood — Special circumstances Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) Cases Cited: Hoskins v R [2020] NSWCCA 18 R v Douglas (1998) 29 MVR 316 R v Whyte [2002] NSWCCA 343; (2002) 55 NSWLR 252 Category: Sentence Parties: Brett Warren Forster (the offender) Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Crown) Representation: Counsel: J Hibbard (for the offender)