R v Bigatton (No 5) [2024] NSWDC 285

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Bigatton (No 5) [2024] NSWDC 285 Hearing dates: 5 July 2024 Date of orders: 12 July 2024 Decision date: 12 July 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Newlinds SC DCJ Decision: (1) The Offender is convicted. (2) Order, pursuant to s 20(1)(a), the conditional release of the Offender upon the condition that he enter into a recognisance, self in the sum of $100 without security. (3) The condition of the recognisance is that he be of good behaviour for a period of 3 years commencing 12 July 2024 and expiring 11 July 2027. Catchwords: SENTENCING – Commonwealth offences – Corporations Act offences – Collapse of BitConnect Lending Platform – Financial services advice – Effect of disclaimer stating that financial advice is not financial advice – General deterrence – Purpose of Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act – Strong subjective case – Custodial sentence not warranted – Offender convicted and released on recognisance release order to be of good behaviour for 3 years Legislation Cited: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 760A; s 911B(1)(a)‑(e); Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Part 1B; s 16A; s 16A(1); s 16A(2)(a)-(n); s 20(1)(a) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Cth) Cases Cited: Baden v The Queen [2020] NSWCCA 23 Bae v R [2020] NSWCCA 35 Cameron v The Queen (2002) 209 CLR 339 Cameron v The Queen (2002) 209 CLR 339 Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police v Bigatton [2020] NSWSC 245 Decision restricted [2024] NSWCCA 23 DPP v Verdins (2007) 16 VR 268 Huang aka Liu v R [2018] NSWCCA 70 R v Adler [2005] NSWSC 274 R v Bigatton (No 2) [2023] NSWDC 290 R v Bigatton (No 3) [2023] NSWDC 291 R v Bigatton (No 4) [2023] NSWDC 458 R v Cox [2013] QCA 10 R v Katsoulis [2008] VSCA 278 R v Todd [1982] 2 NSWLR 517 Xiao v R [2018] NSWCCA 4 Category: Sentence Parties: Rex John Louis Anthony Bigatton (Offender) Representation: Counsel: A Williams (Crown) C Parkin (Offender)