Regina v Merlino [2004] NSWCCA 104

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : Regina v Merlino [2004] NSWCCA 104 HEARING DATE(S) : 7/04/2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 21 April 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Wood CJ at CL at 1; Sully J at 81; Hislop J at 82 DECISION : Appeal dismissed.

CATCHWORDS : CRIMINAL LAW - Appeal against conviction - 2 counts of robbery armed with offensive weapon - plea of not guilty - whether trial judge erred in directions to jury on circumstantial evidence - whether prejudice caused by trials being run together - whether miscarriage due to jury being made aware that appellant and his alibi witness had been in prison - whether Crown cross examination invited adverse inferences relating to onus of proof and right to silence of appellant. LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 - s 103 KRM The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 221 at 234 Petty v The Queen (1991) 173 CLR 95 Regina v Anderson [2002] NSWCCA 141 CASES CITED : Regina v ITA [2003] NSWCCA 174 Regina v Merritt [1999] NSWCCA 29 at 71 R v Reeves (1992) 29 NSWLR 109 Regina v Zaiter [2004] NSWCCA 35 Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573 at 585 PARTIES : Regina Mario Joseph Merlino FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60479/03 COUNSEL : D M L Woodburne (Crown) H. Dhanji SOLICITORS : C K Smith (Crown) S E O'Connor

LOWER COURT District Court JURISDICTION : LOWER COURT 02/21/1177 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Robison DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

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