R v Teasdale [2004] NSWCCA 91

Reported Decision : 145 A Crim R 345

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : R v Teasdale [2004] NSWCCA 91 HEARING DATE(S) : 15 March 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 April 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Tobias JA at 1; Adams J at 54; Smart AJ at 55 DECISION : 1. Appeal upheld; 2. Conviction and sentence quashed; 3. Verdict and judgment of acquittal entered

CATCHWORDS : PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - closing address to jury - where Crown invites jury to disbelieve witness evidence when no basis for making invitation - where no cross-examination of the witnesses the jury was invited to disbelieve - trial judge's duty to direct jury to ignore unsubstantiated and improper assertions - whether trial miscarried - s8(1) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) - whether order for new trial appropriate - EVIDENCE - inviting jury to disbelieve witness's evidence with no basis for making invitation - no cross-examination of the witnesses the jury invited to disbelieve - s38 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW). - APPEAL - jury verdict - whether jury ought to have entertained reasonable doubt - whether unsafe or unsatisfactory verdict - whether evidence contained discrepancies or lacked probative force - whether significant possibility that innocent person convicted - s6(1) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW). Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW); LEGISLATION CITED : Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW); Evidence Act 1995 (NSW). DPP (Nauru) v Fowler (1984) 154 CLR 627; Jones v The Queen (1997) 191 CLR 439; M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; R v Pedrana [2001] NSWCCA 66; CASES CITED : R v Hasenkamp [1998] NSWSC 40; R v Kennedy [2000] NSWCCA 487; R v Kneebone (1999) 47 NSWLR 450; R v Stavrinos [2003] NSWCCA 339; R v Walton [1999] NSWCCA 452. PARTIES : Regina Brett Robert Teasdale FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60420/03 COUNSEL : A: P.D. Rosser R: M Grogan SOLICITORS : A: N Moir R: S Kavanagh