Mohr v R [2024] NSWCCA 197

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Mohr v R [2024] NSWCCA 197 Hearing dates: 20 September 2024 Date of orders: 06 November 2024 Decision date: 06 November 2024 Before: Bell CJ at [1]; Davies J at [90]; Wright J at [91]. Decision: 1. Leave to appeal granted. 2. Appeal allowed. 3. Quash the sentence imposed on Darren Mohr on 3 July 2020 and in lieu thereof, sentence Mr Mohr to a term of 22 years imprisonment to date from 22 January 2019, expiring on 21 January 2041, with a non-parole period of 13 years, expiring on 21 January 2032. Catchwords: SENTENCING – appeal against sentence co-offenders – disparity between sentences – where the Applicant was a participant in a conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug – where the Applicant was the only co-conspirator to plead not guilty and was the last to be sentenced – where factual challenges made to the sentencing judge's findings as to the Applicant being senior to another of the co-conspirators in the hierarchy of responsibility in relation to the conspiracy – whether the sentence imposed on the Applicant gave rise to a justifiable sense of grievance in light of the sentence imposed on that co-conspirator – where that co-offender's undiscounted indicative sentence in respect of the conspiracy was half of that imposed on the Applicant Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) ss 16A, 17A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) s 53A Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) ss 6(3), 10(1)(b) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) ss 11.5, 307.1 Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules 2021 (NSW) rr 3.1, 3.5 Cases Cited: Adams v R [2018] NSWCCA 139 Afu v R [2017] NSWCCA 246 Assam v R [2019] NSWCCA 12 Borg v R [2019] NSWCCA 129 Cameron v R [2017] NSWCCA 229 Camm v R [2009] NSWCCA 141 Cao v R [2010] NSWCCA 109 Carroll v The Queen [2009] HCA 13; (2009) 83 ALJR 579 Contos v R [2022] NSWCCA 92 Daw v R [2017] NSWCCA 327 Decision restricted [2023] NSWCCA 257 Downes v R [2020] NSWCCA 167 DS v R [2014] NSWCCA 267 Fenech v R [2018] NSWCCA 160 Green v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462; [2011] HCA 49 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Huckstadt v R [2016] NSWCCA 22 Keen v R [2024] NSWCCA 157 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Lowe v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 606; [1984] HCA 46 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Martellotta v R [2021] NSWCCA 168 Miles v R [2017] NSWCCA 266 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295; [1997] HCA 26 R (Cth) v [Person A]; R (Cth) v [Person C]; R (Cth) v John Tobin [2018] NSWSC 1953 R v O'Donoghue (1988) 34 A Crim R 397 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 Regina v Pan [2005] NSWCCA 114 Rosenberg v R [2022] NSWCCA 295 Tran v R [2017] VSCA 346 Tuivaga v R [2015] NSWCCA 145 Weiss v R [2020] NSWCCA 188 Wilson v R [2008] NSWCCA 245 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Youkhana v R [2011] NSWCCA 37 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Darren John Mohr (Applicant) Crown (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: