R v Simons (a pseudonym) [2025] NSWDC 4

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Simons (a pseudonym) [2025] NSWDC 4 Hearing dates: 25 October 2024 Date of orders: 25 October 2024 Decision date: 25 October 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Sentence of imprisonment of 6 years with a non-parole period of 3 years Catchwords: CRIME — Child sex offences — Sexual intercourse with child under 10 SENTENCING — Mitigating factors — Good character — No record of previous convictions — Plea of guilty — Remorse — Unlikely to re-offend — Efforts at rehabilitation SENTENCING — Penalties — Imprisonment SENTENCING — Relevant factors on sentence — Deterrence — Form 1 offences — General principles — Moral culpability — Objective seriousness SENTENCING — Sentencing procedure — Instinctive synthesis SENTENCING — Subjective considerations on sentence — Mental illness — Major Depressive Disorder — Alcohol addiction — Impact of custody —Loss and detriment Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings Act) 1987 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Cases Cited: Attorney General's Application under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 1 of 2002 (2002) 56 NSWLR 146; [2013] NSWCCA 115 Daetz v R (2003) 139 A Crim R 398 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Hili v The Queen [2010] HC 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 JP v R [2015] NSWCCA 267 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Merkel v R [2019] NSWCCA 212 Nasrallah v R [2021] NSWCCA 207 Owen v R [2022] NSWCCA 214 Queen v Pham [2015] HCA 39; (2015) 256 CLR 550 R v Allpass (1993) 72 A Crim R 561 R v Clampitt-Wotton (2002) 37 MVR 340 R v Geddes (1936) 36 SR (NSW) 554 R v PGM [2008] NSWCCA 172 152 R v Simpson [2001] NSWCCA 534; 53 NSWLR 704 R v Thompson; R v Houlten [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 38 Ryan v The Queen [2001] HCA 21; 206 CLR 267 Weininger v The Queen [2003] HCA 14; (2003) 212 CLR 629 Category: Sentence Parties: Margorie Simons (a pseudonym) (the offender) Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Crown) Representation: Counsel: C Doosey (for the offender) N Keay (for the Crown)