Speer v Regina [2004] NSWCCA 118

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : Speer v Regina [2004] NSWCCA 118 HEARING DATE(S) : 12/02/2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 22 March 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Beazley JA at 1; O'Keefe J at 2; Bell J at 32 DECISION : Leave to appeal against sentence granted; Appeal allowed; Sentence imposed below quashed; In lieu of the sentence imposed below, the applicant is sentenced to imprisonment for 9 years to commence on 26 April 2002 and to expire on 25 April 2011 with a non-parole period of 6 years to commence on 26 April 2002 and expire on 25 April 2008, on which date the applicant will become eligible for parole.

CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - Appeal - Sentence - Drug importation - Courier - Heroin - Commercial quantity - Plea of guilty - Amendment to law between dates of plea and sentence - Relevance to sentencing discretion - Words and phrases: "in addition to any other matters". Customs Act 1901 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) ss 16A, 16G Crimes Legislation Amendment (People Smuggling, Firearms Trafficking and Other Measures) Act (2002) (Cth) ss 3 and 4, Schedule 3, Item 1. Regina v Thompson; Regina v Houlton (1999-2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Regina v Schofield (2003) NSWCCA 3 (unreported, 6 February 2003) CASES CITED : Regina v Maclay (1990) 19 NSWLR 113 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Regina v Wong; Regina v Leung (1999) 48 NSWLR 340; (2001) 207 CLR 584 Regina v Spiteri (1999) NSWCCA 3 (unreported, 24 February 1999). PARTIES : Allan James Speer Regina FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60337/03 COUNSEL : Mr A Bellanto SC - Appellant Mr R Bromwich - Crown SOLICITORS : Whitby William - Appellant Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions - Crown