Hemsworth v R [2025] NSWCCA 2

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Hemsworth v R [2025] NSWCCA 2 Hearing dates: 27 September 2024 Date of orders: 12 February 2025 Decision date: 12 February 2025 Before: Mitchelmore JA at [1] Davies J at [2] Campbell J at [3] Decision: (1) Under r. 3.5 Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules 2021, grant leave to the applicant to make his application for leave to appeal from the sentence passed upon him in the District Court on 10 September 2021. (2) Under s 5(1)(c) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) grant leave to appeal against the sentence. (3) Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME – appeals – appeal against sentence – assistance to authorities – discount under s 23 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – where the sentencing judge failed to consider the applicant's assistance to authorities while on remand – negligible connection between the applicant's offences and the offending in respect of which the applicant is said to have provided assistance – exercise of discretion to decline to provide a discount on re-sentence Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules 2021 (NSW), rr 3.1, 3.5 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), ss 6, 10 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), SS 23, 44, 53A, 54 Cases Cited: Ahmad v R [2021] NSWCCA 30 Autodesk Inc v Dyason (No 2) (1993) 176 CLR 300; [1993] HCA 6 Baxter v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 237; (2007) 173 A Crim R 284 Betts v The Queen (2016) 258 CLR 420; [2016] HCA 25 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2003] HCA 26; (2003) 197 ALR 389 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 JM v R [2014] NSWCCA 297; 246 A Crim R 528 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Khoury v R [2011] NSWCCA 118; 209 A Crim R 509 Owens v R [2023] NSWCCA 198 R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677 R v Hemsworth [2021] NSWDC 638 R v Vachalec [1981] 1 NSWLR 351 R v XX [2017] NSWCCA 90; 266 A Crim R 132 RJT v R [2012] NSWCCA 280; 218 A Crim R 490 Springer v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 289; 117 A Crim R 13 Waterways Authority v Fitzgibbon [2005] HCA 57; (2005) 79 ALJR 1816 Zreika v R [2012] NSWCCA 44; 233 A Crim R 460 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Brendan Ray Hemsworth (Applicant) Rex (Crown) Representation: Counsel: S Flood with M Hunter (Applicant) E Nicholson (Crown)