REGINA v. BUTCHER [2001] NSWCCA 188

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : REGINA v. BUTCHER [2001] NSWCCA 188 revised - 31/05/2001 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA No. 60291 of 2000 HEARING DATE(S) : Wednesday 28 March 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 17 May 2001

PARTIES : REGINA v. BUTCHER, Brett John JUDGMENT OF : Greg James J at 1; Smart AJ at 71

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 99/31/0371 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Viney, DCJ. OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Crown: C.K. Maxwell, QC. App: A.C. Haesler SOLICITORS : Crown: S.E. O'Connor App: D.J. Humphreys CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - appeal against sentence - supply of prohibited drug - weight of plea of guilty - escalating culpability - whether procured by police - necessity to evaluate role - whether circumstance of aggravation or mitigation - sentence excessive - special circumstances established - applicant re-sentenced. LEGISLATION CITED : Drugs Misuse & Trafficking Act 1985 Law Enforcement (Controlled Operations) Act 1987 Pearce (1988) 194 CLR 610 Thomson (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Taouk (1992) 65 A. Crim. R. 387 Anderson (1987) 32 A. Crim. R. 146 CASES CITED: Leung (CCA, unreported 21 July 1994) Rahme (1991) 53 A. Crim. R. 8 Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270 Roach (CCA, unreported 28 April 1997) Prior (CCA, unreported 7 October 1997) DECISION : Leave to appeal granted; appeal allowed on counts one and four; sentences on those counts quashed; in lieu of the sentences imposed on counts one and four, the applicant is sentenced to five years imprisonment to commence 21 May 1999, with a non-parole period of three years commencing on that day and ending on 20 May 2002; appeal on counts two and three dismissed.