Russell Clement Wills v Regina [2007] NSWCCA 160

Reported Decision: 173 A Crim R 208

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION: Russell Clement Wills v Regina [2007] NSWCCA 160

HEARING DATE(S): 30 April 2007

JUDGMENT DATE: 19 June 2007

JUDGMENT OF: Beazley JA at 1; James J at 84; Hidden J at 85

DECISION: 1. Appeal allowed; 2. Conviction quashed; 3. Order that there be a new trial; 4. Dismiss the application for leave to appeal against sentence.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW – appeal against conviction – circumstantial evidence – evidence to be considered in its totality – not permissible to consider evidence piecemeal – whether jury's verdict of guilty unreasonable - CRIMINAL LAW – appeal against conviction – Mental Health (Criminal Procedure) Act 1990 (NSW) – unfitness to be tried – question whether appellant fit to be tried first raised in evidence on sentence – question of unfitness to be tried raised as issue on appeal – capacity of appellant to understand proceedings at trial so as to be able to make a proper defence – whether appellant able to make a proper defence to the charge at trial

LEGISLATION CITED: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) s 44 Mental Health (Criminal Procedure) Act 1990 (NSW) ss 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chamberlain v The Queen [No 2] (1984) 153 CLR 521; [1984] HCA 7 Clarkson v Regina [2007] NSWCCA 70 Eastman v The Queen (2000) 203 CLR 1; [2000] HCA 29 Kesavarajah v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 230; [1994] HCA 41 Kirkwood v Regina [2006] NSWCCA 181 Martin v Osborne (1936) 55 CLR 367; [1936] HCA 23 CASES CITED: Ngatayi v The Queen (1980) 147 CLR 1; [1980] HCA 18 Plomp v The Queen (1963) 110 CLR 234; [1963] HCA 44 R v Henley [2005] NSWCCA 126 R v Hillier (2007) 81 ALJR 886; [2007] HCA 13 R v Presser [1958] VR 45 R v Rivkin (2004) 59 NSWLR 284; [2004] NSWCCA 7 R v RTI (2003) 58 NSWLR 438; [2003] NSWCCA 283 R v Taylor (1992) 77 CCC (3d) 551