Wood v R [2012] NSWCCA 21

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Wood v R [2012] NSWCCA 21 Hearing dates: 22 August 2011 Decision date: 24 February 2012 Before: McClellan CJ at CL at [1] Latham J at [810] Rothman J at [820] Decision: 1. Leave to appeal is granted and the appeal is upheld and the conviction is quashed. 2. Order the entry of a verdict of acquittal. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - unreasonable verdict - unsupported by the evidence - circumstantial evidence - circumstantial evidence to be considered as a whole -reasonable doubt on independent assessment of the evidence - jury advantage in hearing evidence insufficient to resolve reasonable doubt. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - identification evidence - probative value - "displacement effect" - appropriate directions - whether evidence of similar appearance is identification evidence. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - expert evidence - identification and proof of assumptions by admissible evidence - qualification of expert - weight to be given to expert evidence. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - expert evidence - breach of Expert Witness Code of Conduct - whether breach of Expert Witness Code of Conduct goes to admissibility or weight - discretionary exclusion of evidence of expert who breaches Code of Conduct. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - evidence - admissibility - relevance. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - whether a conclusion of fact is an indispensable intermediate fact - need for a Shepherd direction - Shepherd direction not required. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - whether trial miscarried because of prejudice occasioned by the Crown prosecutor - prosecutor's duty of fairness - whether prosecutor breached trial judge's ruling - whether prosecutor invited jury to invert the onus of proof - whether prosecutor impermissibly gave personal opinions - whether prosecutor misrepresented evidence - whether prosecutor failed to adhere to case theory. CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - conviction - joint criminal enterprise - need for evidence of enterprise and participation by the accused. CRIMINAL LAW - evidence - lack of evidence to support motive - dangers of inviting speculation as to motive - whether unfair prejudice occasioned. CRIMINAL LAW - new and fresh evidence - evidence not disclosed by prosecution at time of trial. Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Rules Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) New South Wales Barristers' Rules Supreme Court Rules 1970 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Alexander v The Queen [1981] HCA 17; (1981) 135 CLR 395 Aslett v R [2009] NSWCCA 188 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rich (2005) 190 FLR 242; [2005] NSWSC 149 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rich (2005) 218 ALR 764; [2005] NSWCA 152 Azzopardi v The Queen [2001] HCA 25; (2001) 205 CLR 50 Barca v The Queen [1975] HCA 42; (1975) 133 CLR 82 Boucher v The Queen (1954) 110 CCC 263 Burrell v R [2009] NSWCCA 163 Causevic v R [2008] NSWCCA 238; 190 A Crim R 416 Chahine v R [2006] NSWCCA 179 Chamberlain [No 2] v The Queen[1984] HCA 7; (1984) 153 CLR 521 Cittadini v R [2009] NSWCCA 302 Commonwealth Development Bank of Australia Pty Ltd v Cassegrain [2002] NSWSC 980 Cooper v R [2011] NSWCCA 258 Cornwell v The Queen [2007] HCA 12; 231 CLR 260 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar [2011] HCA 21; (2011) 85 ALJR 694 Davies and Cody v The King [1937] HCA 27; [1937] 57 CLR 170 Domican v The Queen [1992] HCA 13; (1992) 173 CLR 555 Festa v The Queen[2001] HCA 72; (2001) 208 CLR 593 FGT Custodians Pty Ltd v Fagenblat [2003] VSCA 33 Gallagher v The Queen [1986] HCA 26; (1986) 160 CLR 392 GDD v R [2010] NSWCCA 62 Gonzales v R [2007] NSWCCA 321; 178 A Crim R 232 Grey v The Queen [2001] HCA 65; (2001) 75 ALJR 1708 Halloway v Feeters (1950) 94 CLR 450 Haoui v R [2008] NSWCCA 209 HG v The Queen [1999] HCA 2; (1999) 197 CLR 414 HML v The Queen [2008] HCA 16; (2008) 235 CLR 344 James v Keogh (2008) 101 SASR 42 Kanaan v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 109 Khoury v R [2011] NSWCCA 118 Knight v The Queen [1992] HCA 56; (1992) 175 CLR 495 Lawteal Finance v Chrapacz [2010] NSWSC 73 Li v R (2003) 139 A Crim R 281; [2003] NSWCCA 290 Libke v The Queen [2007] HCA 30; (2007) 230 CLR 559 Livermore v R [2006] NSWCCA 334; (2006) 67 NSWLR 659 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles [2001] NSWCA 305; (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 Mallard v The Queen [2005] HCA 68; (2005) 224 CLR 125 Martin v Osborne [1936] HCA 23; (1936) 55 CLR 367 Meadow v General Medical Council [2006] 2 WLR 286 Morgan v Babcock & Wilcox Ltd (1929) 43 CLR 163 National Justice Cia Naviera SA v Prudential Assurance Co Ltd (The Ikarian Reefer) [1993] 2 Lloyd's Rep 68 Pan Pharmaceuticals Ltd (in liq) v Selim [2008] FCA 416 Paric v John Holland (Constructions) Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 58; (1985) 59 ALJR 844 Peacock v The King [1911] HCA 66; (1911) 13 CLR 619 Plomp v The Queen [1963] HCA 44; (1963) 110 CLR 234 R v Abou-Chabake (2004) 149 A Crim R 417; [2004] NSWCCA 356 R v Agkul (2002) 5 VR 537; [2002] VSCA 222 R v Ali (2001) 122 A Crim R 498; [2001] NSWCCA 218 R v Anderson (Hilton Bombing Case) (1991) 53 A Crim R 421 R v Blick [2000] NSWCCA 61; (2000) 111 A Crim R 326; R v Carusi (1997) 92 A Crim R 52 R v DDR (1999) 99 A Crim R 327; [1998] 3 VR 580 R v Harris [2006] 1 Cr App R 5 R v Hillier [2007] HCA 13; [2007] 228 CLR 618 R v Hodge 2 Lewin C.C. 227 R v Kaldor [2004] NSWCCA 425; (2004) 150 A Crim R 271 R v Keenan [2009] HCA 1; (2009) 236 CLR 397 R v KNP [2006] NSWCCA 213; (2006) 67 NSWLR 227 R v Liristis [2004] NSWCCA 287; (2004) 146 A Crim R 547 R v McCullough (1982) 6 A Crim R 274; (1982) Tas R 43 R v Micallef [2002] NSWCCA 480; (2002) 136 A Crim R 127 R v Roulston [1976] 2 NZLR 644 R v Rugari [2001] NSWCCA 64; (2001) 122 A Crim R 1 R v Skaf [2004] NSWCCA 37 R v Taylor, Weaver and Donovan (1928) 21 Cr App R 20 R v Wood [2008] NSWSC 1273 Ramsay v Watson [1961] HCA 65; (1961) 108 CLR 642 Rasic v The Queen [2009] NSWCCA 202 Ratten v The Queen [1974] HCA 35; (1974) 131 CLR 510 Richardson v The Queen [1974] HCA 19; (1974) 131 CLR 116 RPS v The Queen [2000] HCA 3; (2000) 199 CLR 620 Sever v R [2010] NSWCCA 135 Shepherd v The Queen [1990] HCA 56; (1990) 170 CLR 573 SKA v The Queen [2011] HCA 13; (2011) 243 CLR 400 Stanton v Callaghan [2000] QB 75 Sydney South West Area Health Service v Stamoulis [2009] NSWCA 153 Tran v The Queen (2000) 105 FCR 182; [2000] FCA 1888 United Rural Enterprises Pty Ltd v Lopmand Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 870 Velevski v The Queen [2002] HCA 4; (2002) 76 ALJR 402 Whitehorn v The Queen [1983] HCA 42]; (1983) 152 CLR 657 Whitehouse v Jordan (1981) 1 WLR 246 Texts Cited: Starkie on Evidence, 3rd ed., published in 1842 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gordon Wood (Applicant) Crown Representation: T A Game SC/G A Bashir/J King (Applicant) W Abraham QC/J A Girdham/G Turner (Crown) Michael Bowe Solicitor (Applicant) Solicitor for Public Prosecutions (Crown) File Number(s): 2007/1675 Decision under appeal Date of Decision: 2008-12-04 00:00:00 Before: Barr J