R v Whitfield [2024] NSWDC 305

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Whitfield [2024] NSWDC 305 Hearing dates: 4 June 2024 Date of orders: 4 June 2024 Decision date: 04 June 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Aggregate sentence of 3 years 6 months with a non-parole period of 2 years and 2 months Catchwords: CRIME — Domestic violence — Intimidation CRIME — Violent offences — Armed with intent to commit indictable offence — Intimidation — Attempted armed aggravated assault with intent to take motor vehicle without consent — Aggravated robbery — With corporal violence — Assault police officer in execution of duty — Resist police officer in execution of duty SENTENCING — Aggravating factors — Breach of conditional liberty — In company — Home of victim — Record of previous convictions SENTENCING — Guidelines for sentencing — Role of guidelines SENTENCING — Mitigating factors — Late plea of guilty SENTENCING — Penalties — Imprisonment SENTENCING — Relevant factors on sentence — Co-offenders — Parity — Deterrence — Specific deterrence — Form 1 offences — Moral culpability — Series of criminal acts — Multiple offences — Aggregate sentence — Totality — Objective seriousness — Intensive Correction Order not appropriate SENTENCING — Sentencing procedure — Instinctive synthesis SENTENCING — Subjective considerations on sentence — Mental illnesses and disorders — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, Severe Substance Use Disorder, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — Drug abuse disorder — Traumatic childhood — Childhood sexual abuse — Institutionalisation — Repeat offender — Special circumstances Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence Act 2007 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Cases Cited: Attorney General's Application under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure Act) 1999 No 2 of 2002 [2002] NSWCCA 515 Attorney General's Application under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 1 of 2002 [2002] NSWCCA 518; (2002) 56 NSWLR 146 Bugmy v The Queen [2013] HCA 37; (2013) 249 CLR 571 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Beattie [2017] NSWCCA 301 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Postiglione v The Queen [1997] HCA 26; (1997) 189 CLR 295 R v Fernando (1992) 76 A Crim R 58 R v Flanagan; R v Brennan (a pseudonym) [2019] NSWDC 306 Category: Sentence Parties: Robert Whitfield (the offender) Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Crown) Representation: Counsel: S Fraser (for the offender)