Acton v R [2024] NSWCCA 92

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Acton v R [2024] NSWCCA 92 Hearing dates: 20 May 2024 Date of orders: 12 June 2024 Decision date: 12 June 2024 Before: Ward P at [1]; Hamill J at [2]; Chen J at [6] Decision: (1) Grant leave to the applicant to appeal against the sentence imposed on 23 February 2023. (2) Allow the appeal. (3) The sentence imposed on 23 February 2023 is quashed and in lieu thereof impose an aggregate sentence of imprisonment for 3 years and 6 months, with a non-parole period of 2 years and 3 months commencing 22 April 2022. The applicant will be eligible to be released on parole on 21 July 2024. The sentence will expire on 21 October 2025. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeals against sentence – one count of aggravated break and enter with intent to commit a serious indictable offence and two counts of use offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence – alleged error in applying the discount for the applicant's guilty pleas to aggregate sentence rather than indicative sentences – alleged error in finding that that there was the actual intentional use of a knife to slash across the victim's torso – ground 2 upheld – applicant re-sentenced Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Cases Cited: AM v R [2024] NSWCCA 26 Aryal v R [2021] NSWCCA 2 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond (1990) 170 CLR 321; [1990] HCA 33 Betts v The Queen (2016) 258 CLR 420; [2016] HCA 25 Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571; [2013] HCA 37 Davis v R [2015] NSWCCA 90 Dean v R [2020] NSWCCA 317 DL v The Queen (2018) 265 CLR 215; [2018] HCA 32 DS v R; DM v R (2022) 109 NSWLR 82; [2022] NSWCCA 156 Elsaj v R [2017] NSWCCA 124 FL v R [2020] NSWCCA 114 Hurt v The King [2024] HCA 8; (2024) 98 ALJR 485 Ibbotson (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 92 JM v The Queen [2014] NSWCCA 297; (2014) 246 A Crim R 528 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Lehn v R (2016) 93 NSWLR 205; [2016] NSWCCA 255 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Maxwell v The Queen (1996) 184 CLR 501; [1996] HCA 46 Moodie v The Queen [2020] NSWCCA 160; (2020) 284 A Crim R 87 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Ocek v R [2023] NSWCCA 308 R v Daldy-Rowe [2019] NSWDC 899 R v Holder [1983] 3 NSWLR 245 R v MMK [2006] NSWCCA 272; (2006) 164 A Crim R 481 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 R v Tisserand [2021] NSWDC 543 R v Zerafa [2021] NSWDC 547 Ragg v R [2022] NSWCCA 150 RO v R [2019] NSWCCA 183 Sharpe v R [2006] NSWCCA 255 Strbak v The Queen (2020) 267 CLR 494; [2020] HCA 10 Turnbull v R [2019] NSWCCA 97 Vaughan v R [2020] NSWCCA 3 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Weiss v R [2020] NSWCCA 188 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 XY (A Pseudonym) v R [2023] NSWCCA 50 Zerafa v R [2023] NSWCCA 109 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Bobby Acton (Applicant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: R Khalilizadeh/B Goncalves (Applicant) P Hogan (Respondent)