Sever v R [2010] NSWCCA 135

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION: Sever v R [2010] NSWCCA 135

HEARING DATE(S): 16 March 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 25 June 2010

JUDGMENT OF: McClellan CJatCL at 1; Latham J at 142; Schmidt J at 151

DECISION: The appellant's conviction quashed and a verdict of acquittal entered.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW - appeal against conviction - whether trial judge fell into error in permitting the jury to consider alternative case of joint criminal enterprise - whether trial judge erred in his directions as to joint criminal enterprise - jury likely to have convicted appellant on the basis of joint criminal enterprise - absence of evidence to hypothesise that another person involved in the offence - trial judge not in error by allowing the issue to go to the jury - CRIMINAL LAW - appeal against conviction - whether verdict unreasonable and incapable of being supported by the evidence - verdict not open on the evidence

LEGISLATION CITED: Crimes Act 1900 Criminal Appeal Act 1912

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Barca v R (1975) 133 CLR 82 Beatson v R [2009] NSWCCA 288 Burrell v R [2007] NSWCCA 65 Carney v R [2008] NSWCCA 140 Chow v R (2007) 172 A Crim R 582; [2007] NSWCCA 225 Cittadini v R [2009] NSWCCA 302) Dodds v R [2009] NSWCCA 78 Doney v R (1990) 171 CLR 207; (1990) 96 ALR 539 Fernando v R [2008] NSWCCA 97 Haoui v R (2008) 188 A Crim R 331; [2008] NSWCCA 209 Jones v R (1997) 191 CLR 439 Knight v R (1992) 175 CLR 495 M v R (1994) 181 CLR 487 McLeod v R [2008] NSWCCA 127 MFA v R (2002) 213 CLR 606. Norris v R (2007) 176 A Crim R 42; [2007] NSWCCA 235 Osland v The Queen [1998] HCA 75 at [27], [93] ; (1998) 197 CLR 316 CASES CITED : Peacock v R (1911) 13 CLR 619 Penney v R (1998) 155 ALR 605; [1998] HCA 51 Plomp v R (1963) 110 CLR 234 R v Docker [2005] NSWCCA 425 R v Habib [2005] NSWCCA 223 R v Hillier [2007] HCA 13; (2007) 228 CLR 618 R v JMR (1991) 57 A Crim R 39 R v Le [2002] NSWCCA 193; (2002) 130 A Crim R 256 R v PL [2009] NSWCCA 256; (2009) 261 ALR 365 R v Prochilo [2003] NSWCCA 265 R v R (1989) 18 NSWLR 74; (1989) 44 A Crim R 404 R v Tangye (1997) 92 A Crim R 545 Sgardelis v R [2006] NSWCCA 338 Shepherd v R [1990] HCA 56; (1990) 170 CLR 573 Tekely v R; Nagle v R [2007] NSWCCA 75 Thomas v R (1960) 102 CLR 584 Thornton v R [2007] NSWCCA 164 TK v R [2009] NSWCCA 151