Keen v R [2024] NSWCCA 157

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Keen v R [2024] NSWCCA 157 Hearing dates: 1 May 2024 Date of orders: 26 August 2024 Decision date: 26 August 2024 Before: Wilson J at [1]; Dhanji J at [12]; Yehia J at [13] Decision: (1) Extend the time within which to appeal and grant leave to appeal. (2) The appeal against sentence is allowed. (3) The sentence imposed by Scotting DCJ on 19 August 2022 in respect of the Code offence is quashed and in lieu thereof the applicant is sentenced as follows: (a) For the State offence, a term of imprisonment of 5 years, with a non-parole period of 3 years and 9 months, to date from 21 February 2021. The non-parole period will expire on 20 November 2024, and the head sentence will expire on 20 February 2026. (b) I decline to make a finding of special circumstances because to do so would be futile taking into consideration the sentence to be imposed for the Code offence. (c) For the Code offence, I impose a term of imprisonment of 7 years, with a non-parole period of 3 years and 6 months, to date from 21 February 2022. The non-parole period will expire on 20 August 2025, and the head sentence will expire on 20 February 2029. (4) The effective overall sentence is 8 years, with a non-parole period of 4 years and 6 months to date from 21 February 2021. The total effective non-parole period will expire on 20 August 2025, and the head sentence will expire on 20 February 2029. (5) The applicant will be eligible to be released on parole on 20 August 2025. Catchwords: CRIME – Appeals – appeal against sentence – parity – aid and abet in an attempt to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine – assessment of comparative culpability of co-offenders – extent of disparity not justified – appeal allowed – resentence Legislation Cited: Criminal Code (Cth), ss 11.1(1), 11.2(1), 307.5(1) Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW), s 25(2) Cases Cited: Assie v R (Cth) [2020] NSWCCA 249 Cameron v R [2017] NSWCCA 229 Carl v R [2023] NSWCCA 190 Chamon v R [2020] NSWCCA 112 Edmonds v R [2022] NSWCCA 103 Giles-Adams v R; Preca v R [2023] NSWCCA 122 Hung v R [2023] NSWCCA 172 Island Maritime Limited v Filipowski (2006) 226 CLR 328; [2006] HCA 30 Lupica v R [2024] NSWCCA 111 Mammone v R [2013] NSWCCA 95 Martellotta v R [2021] NSWCCA 168 Ooi v R [2023] NSWCCA 97 R v Barkl; R v Dumbrell; R v Theobald [2022] NSWDC 760 R v Barkl; R v Dumbrell; R v Theobald [2023] NSWCCA 309 R v Butler [2024] NSWCCA 133 R v Butler [2024] NSWDC 79 R v Grncarski (District Court (NSW), Girdham SC DCJ, 15 December 2023, unrep) R v Humphrys [1977] AC 1 R v Keen [2022] NSWDC 369 Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251; [1994] HCA 42 Stocco, Gino v R; Stocco, Mark v R [2018] NSWCCA 77 Tatana v R [2006] NSWCCA 398 The Queen v Carroll (2002) 213 CLR 635; [2002] HCA 55 Vujinovic v R [2024] NSWCCA 10 Weir v R [2011] NSWCCA 123 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lloyd Norman Keen (Applicant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J Stratton SC (Applicant) L Fernandez (Respondent)