R v Whitfield [2002] NSWCCA 501

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : R v Whitfield [2002] NSWCCA 501 revised - 8/07/2003 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60790/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 22 November 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 24 December 2002

PARTIES : Regina v Jonathon Troy Whitfield JUDGMENT OF : Heydon JA at 1; Hulme J at 2; Carruthers AJ at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 70053/00 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Adams J OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Appellant - P.R. Boulten Crown - W.G. Dawe QC SOLICITORS : Appellant - D.J. Humphreys Crown - S.E. O'Connor CATCHWORDS : Criminal Law - murder - conviction appeal - judge sums up on an alternative basis for conviction, but not canvassed by prosecution - whether accused thereby placed at a tactical disadvantage such as to render the trial unfair to him - whether judge erred in directions to the jury on voluntariness and accident - Sentencing - whether judge erred in making no adjustment to sentence for the appellant's Aboriginality - whether sufficient consideration given to appellant's youth - whether sentences manifestly excessive. Crimes Act 1900, s18(1) as amended, s98 LEGISLATION CITED : Qld Criminal Code, s23(1) WA Criminal Code, s23 Bratty v Attorney General for Northern Ireland [1963] AC 386 Browne v Dunn (1896) 6 R 67 Falconer v The Queen (1990) 171 CLR 30 Murray v The Queen [2002] HCA 26 R v McLeod (CCA 28 May 1991, unreported) CASES CITED: R v Mullen (1938) 59 CLR 124 R v Sharah (1992-1993) 30 NSWLR 292 R v Simpson (2001) 126 A Crim R 525 R v Solomon [1980] 1 NSWLR 321 R v Spathis; R v Patsalis [2001] NSWCCA 476 Ryan v The Queen (1967) 121 CLR 205 Ugle v The Queen [2002] HCA 25 DECISION : Appeal against conviction dismissed. Leave to appeal against sentenced granted but appeal against sentence dismissed.