REGINA v SWEET [2001] NSWCCA 445

Reported Decision : 125 A Crim R 341

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : REGINA v SWEET [2001] NSWCCA 445 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60258/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 24 October 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 24 October 2001

PARTIES : Regina Reuben Kingsley Sweet JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1 and 47; Studdert J at 45; Ireland AJ at 46

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 00/11/0930 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Shadbolt DCJ OFFICER :

COUNSEL : L Flannery (Appellant) G Bellew (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Legal Aid Commission (Appellant) Commonwealth DPP (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : CRIMINAL LAW - appeal against sentence - defrauding the Commonwealth - whether sentence manifestly excessive - where Applicant has significant history of crimes of deception - where guilty plea at earliest opportunity - where assistance to police - whether appropriate reduction for unavailability of remissions in New South Wales - whether reduction by one third an inadequate recognition of utilitarian value of plea of guilty and assistance to police - whether non-parole period of 75% indicative of error - Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), ss 16A(2), 16G, 19AB, 29D - Criminal Appeal Act 1912, s6(3) LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321 DPP v El Karhani (1990) 21 NSWLR 370 Neal v The Queen (1982) 149 CLR 305 R v Acosta [1999] NSWCCA 334 R v Beeforth (NSWCCA, 24 November 1995, unreported) R v Behar (NSWCCA, 14 October 1998, unreported) CASES CITED: R v Bernier (1998) 102 A Crim R 44 R v Bugeja [2001] NSWCCA 196 R v Carter [2001] NSWCCA 245 R v Drazkiewicz (NSWCCA, 23 November 1993, unreported) R v Meloh [2001] NSWCCA 211 R v Paull (1990) 20 NSWLR 427 R v Stitt (1998) 102 A Crim R 428 R v Thomson & Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 DECISION : Leave to appeal granted; appeal dismissed.