REGINA v. DUNCOMBE [2001] NSWCCA 483

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : REGINA v. DUNCOMBE [2001] NSWCCA 483 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA No. 60651 of 2001 HEARING DATE(S) : Tuesday 27 November 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 29 November 2001

PARTIES : REGINA v. DUNCOMBE, Gordon Andrew JUDGMENT OF : Sheller JA at 1; Dowd J at 2; Greg James J at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 01/71/0019 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Patten, DCJ. OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Crown: R.A. Hulme Resp: A.M. Webb SOLICITORS : Crown: S.E. O'Connor Resp: D.J. Humphreys CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - sentence - Crown appeal - principles applicable - break enter and steal offences - application of guideline judgment in Ponfield - assault police - inadequate sentences - disproportionately short non-parole period. Criminal Appeal Act 1912 LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1900 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Osenkowski (1982) 30 SASR 212 Everett (1994) 181 CLR 295 Dinsdale (2000) 74 ALJR 1538 Wong & Leung [2001] HCA 64 Lowe [1984] 12 A. Crim. R. 408 Readman (1990) 47 A. Cirm. R. 181 Ponfield (1999) 48 NSWLR 327 Fernando (1992) 76 A. Crim. R. 58 CASES CITED: Thomson & Houlten (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Morgan (1993) 70 A. Crim. R. 368 Pont [2000] NSWCCA 419 Allpass (1994) 72 A. Crim. R. 561 Kalache (2000) 111 A. Crim. R. 152 Warfield (1994) 34 NSWLR 200 Moffitt (1990) 20 NSWLR 114 Landsell (CCA, unreported 23.5.96) Pearce (1998) 103 A. Crim. R. 372 Harris [2001] NSWCCA 322 DECISION : The appeal be upheld. The sentence imposed in the District Court be quashed and the responent re-sentenced as follows. On the count of assaulting a police officer, to imprisonment for a fixed term of 12 months to commence on 2 November 2000 to expire on 1 November 2001. On the count of break enter and steal, and taking into account the matters on the Form 1, to imprisonment for a term of five years to date from 2 Novmeber 2001 and to expire on 1 November 2006, a total sentence of six years imprisonment. On the latter sentence, impose a non-parole period of three years to date from 2 November 2001. The respondent would be eligible for release on parole at the end of the non-parole period but that parole should be subject to the supervision of the Probation & Parole Service. Order that the report of Ms. Johnson be sent to the Department of Corrective Services, as proposed. The first possible release date would be 2 November 2004.