Regina v Ngatikaura [2006] NSWCCA 161

Reported Decision : 161 A Crim R 329

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION: Regina v Ngatikaura [2006] NSWCCA 161

HEARING DATE(S): 6 February 2006

JUDGMENT DATE: 22 May 2006

JUDGMENT OF: Beazley JA at 1; Simpson J at 53; Rothman J at 74

DECISION: By majority (Beazley JA dissenting); (i) appeal allowed; (ii) the decision to reject the evidence is vacated; the matter is remitted to be determined by the District Court in accordance with these reasons.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW – evidence – prior criminal conduct – whether tendency – evidence of prior drug supply - EVIDENCE – tendency evidence – no operation of general exclusionary provisions where tendency provisions apply - JURISDICTION – s.5F(3A) Criminal Appeals Act (NSW) 1912 – whether decision of trial judge to exclude evidence substantially weakens prosecution's case – appeal may be made against an interlocutory decision regardless of whether or not a jury has been empanelled

Criminal Appeal Act (NSW) 1912, s.5F LEGISLATION CITED: Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act (NSW) 1985, s.25(1) Evidence Act (NSW) 1995, ss. 55, 56, 97, 98, 100, 101, 135, 137, Dictionary

Harriman v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 590 Noor Mohamed v The King [1949] AC 182 Papakosmas v The Queen (1999) 196 CLR 297 Pfennig v The Queen (1995) 182 CLR 461 R v BD (1997) 94 A Crim R 131 R v Blick (2000) 111 A Crim R 326 R v Cook [2004] NSWCCA 52 R v Cornwell [2003] NSWSC 657 CASES CITED: R v Filipetti (1978) 13 A Crim R 335 R v Fletcher [2005] NSWCCA 338 R v GK (2001) 53 NSWLR 317 R v Harker [2004] NSWCCA 427 R v Milakovic [2004] NSWCCA 199 R v Quach (2002) 137 A Crim R 345 R v Sultana (1992) 74 A Crim R 27 R v Suteski (2002) 56 NSWLR 182 R v WRC (2002) 130 A Crim R 89 Steffan v R (1993) 30 NSWLR 633