R v Button R v Griffen [2002] NSWCCA 159

Reported Decision : (2002) 54 NSWLR 455 (2002) 129 A Crim R 242

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : R v Button R v Griffen [2002] NSWCCA 159 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60078/01; 60096/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 5 April 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 9 May 2002

PARTIES : Regina v Shannon Michael Button; Regina v William James Griffen JUDGMENT OF : Heydon JA at 1; Greg James J at 70; Kirby J at 77

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : DC 99/31/0097 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Viney DCJ OFFICER :

A P Cook (Button) COUNSEL : R J Button (Griffen) P E Barrett (Crown) Sydney Regional Aboriginal Corporation Legal Service (Button) SOLICITORS : D J Humphreys (Griffen) S E O'Connor (Crown) CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - aggravated sexual assault - Crimes Act 1900 s 61J - aggravation consisting in commission of offences in company - meaning of "in company" - whether trial judge erred in interpretation of phrase - whether misdirection of jury resulted LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1900 Evidence Act 1995 R v Abusafiah (1991) 24 NSWLR 531 R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677 R v Brougham (1986) 43 SASR 187 R v Cooper (1978) 17 SASR 472 R v Crozier (unreported, CCA, 8 March 1996) R v DH [2000] NSWCCA 360 Edwards v R (1993) 178 CLR 193 R v Fuge [2001] NSWCCA 208 R v Galey [1985] 1 NZLR 230 CASES CITED: R v Jones (1978) 1 NSWLR 282 R v Joyce [1968] NZLR 1070 R v Heyde (1990) 20 NSWLR 234 R v Jeffrey (unreported, CCA, 16 December 1993) R v Leoni [1999] NSWCCA 14 R v O'Meagher (1997) 101 A Crim R 196 Palmer v R (1998) 196 CLR 1 Papakosmas v R (1999) 196 CLR 297 R v Sanderson (unreported, CCA, 18 July 1994) Zoneff v R (2000) 200 CLR 234 DECISION : Appeals dismissed