Regina -v- Baker [1999] NSWCCA 129

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal CITATION : Regina -v- Baker [1999] NSWCCA 129 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60485/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 06/04/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 28 May 1999

PARTIES : Regina Mark John BAKER JUDGMENT OF : Wood CJatCL at 1; Ireland J at 2; Kirby J at 74

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 97/21/3054 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER : Cantrill ADCJ

COUNSEL : P R Boulten LMB Lamprati SOLICITORS : TA Murphy SE O'Connor CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - charge of maliciously wound with intent to murder (S 27 Crimes Act, 1900) alternative charge maliciously wound with intent to do grievous bodily harm ( S 33 Crimes Act, 1900) - Judge sitting without jury - findings of not guilty of charges under Ss 27 and 33 but guilty of statutory alternative charge of malicious wounding pursuant to S 35 of the Crimes Act - failure of trial judge to refer to potential unreliability of complainant's evidence - warning warranted under S 165 of the Evidence Act, 1995 - failure to refer to principles of law concerning lies told by appellant - hence breach of S 33(2), S 33(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1986 attracting the second limb of S 6(1) of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1912. Crimes Act, 1900 - Ss 27, 33 and 35 ACTS CITED : Criminal Procedure Act, 1986 - S 33(2) and S 33(3) Criminal Appeal Act - S 6(1) Evidence Act, 1995 - S 165 R -v- Coleman (1990) 19 NSWLR 467 Stokes & Difford (1990) 51 A Crim R 25 R -v- Murray (1987) 11 NSWLR 12 @ 19 CASES CITED: Longman -v- The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 79 @ 107 Fleming -v- Regina 158 ALR 379 Edwards -v- The Queen (1993) 178 CLR 191 R -v- Lucan (1981) 1 QB 720 Edmunds -v- Edmunds & Ayscough (1935) VLR 177 DECISION : Appeal allowed; conviction and sentence quahsed; new trial ordered.