Onuorah v R [2009] NSWCCA 238

Reported Decision: 234 FLR 377260 ALR 126[2010] ALMD 118197 A Crim R 43076 NSWLR 1

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION: Onuorah v R [2009] NSWCCA 238 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 14 July 2009

JUDGMENT DATE: 18 September 2009

JUDGMENT OF: Hodgson JA at 1; McClellan CJatCL at 53; Howie J at 54; Hoeben J at 55; Fullerton J at 56

DECISION: (1) Appeal against conviction dismissed. (2) Leave to appeal against sentence granted and appeal against sentence dismissed.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW – Appeal against conviction – Charge of attempt – Whether sufficient that accused intended that every element of offence occur, and does acts sufficiently proximate to intended commission of crime – Charge of attempting to possess a border-controlled drug which had been unlawfully imported – Whether conviction available where drug intended to be imported seized and retained in Venezuela.

LEGISLATION CITED: Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) ss11, 307 Customs Act, s 233B

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Beckwith v The Queen [1976] HCA 55; (1976) 135 CLR 569 Britten v Alpogut [1987] VR 929 Haughton v Smith [1975] AC 476 R v Adams [1935] HCA 62; (1935) 53 CLR 563 R v Barbouttis (1995) 37 NSWLR 256 The Queen v Barbouttis S51/1996 [1996] HCATrans 397 (2 October 1996) R v Boulghourgian [2001] NSWCCA 460; (2001) 125 A Crim R 540 R v Chapple [2001] NSWCCA 183 CASES CITED : R v El Azzi (2001) 125 A Crim R 113 R v El Azzi [2004] NSWCCA 455 El Ghourani v R [2009] NSWCCA 140 R v Ferrer-Esis (1991) 55 A Crim R 231 R v Hendricks [2001] NSWCCA 396; (2001) 125 A Crim R 303 Korgbara v R [2007] NSWCCA 84; (2007) 71 NSWLR 187 R v Mai (1992) 26 NSWLR 371 Okafor v R [2007] NSWCCA 147 R v Wong and Leung [1999] NSWCCA 420; (1999) 48 NSWLR 340