Canterbury City Council v Mihalopoulos (No 3) [2012] NSWLEC 72

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Canterbury City Council v Mihalopoulos (No 3) [2012] NSWLEC 72 Hearing dates: 9 February 2012 Decision date: 05 April 2012 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Pain J Decision: 1. Mr Mihalopoulos is convicted of the two charges of contempt as particularised in the Statements of Charge. 2. Mr Mihalopoulos is fined $8,000 for the first offence (as particularised in the First Statement of Charge) to be paid to the Registrar of the Court within 28 days of today's date. 3. Mr Mihalopoulos is fined $2,000 for the second offence (as particularised in the Second Statement of Charge) to be paid to the Registrar of the Court within 28 days of today's date. 4. Mr Mihalopoulos is fined $3,000 per calendar month so long as orders 2 and 3 made by the Court on 30 November 2010 continue not to be complied with. 5. Order 4 is suspended for 18 calendar months until 5 October 2013. 6. Mr Mihalopoulos is to pay the Council's costs of the contempt proceedings as agreed or assessed. 7. Order 6 is suspended for 12 calendar months until 5 April 2013. 8. The exhibits may be returned. Catchwords: SENTENCE - sentencing following plea of guilty to two charges of contempt for failure to comply with court orders to remove unlawful building work - wilful contempt - contempt not purged - sale of property subject of contempt charges - mitigating factors of financial incapacity, early plea of guilty - periodic fine imposed Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 21A, s 22 Fines Act 1996 s 6, s 7, s 10 Land and Environment Rules 2007 Pt 5 r 5.2(1) Supreme Court Rules 1970 Pt 55 Cases Cited: ASIC v Sigalla (No 4) [2011] NSWSC 62 Attorney-General (NSW) v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1980] 1 NSWLR 362 Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union v Mudginberri Station Pty Ltd [1986] HCA 46; (1986) 161 CLR 98 Burwood Council v Ruan [2008] NSWLEC 167 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Canterbury City Council v Mihalopoulos [2010] NSWLEC 248 Council of the City of Sydney v Owners Corporation - Strata Plan 18945 [2011] NSWLEC 7 Environment Protection Authority v Pannowitz (No 2) [2006] NSWLEC 797; (2006) 153 LGERA 126 Environment Protection Authority v Wattke; Environment Protection Authority v Geerdink [2010] NSWLEC 24 Fairfield City Council v Adams (No 2) [2010] NSWLEC 45 Gerondal v Eurobodalla Shire Council (No 5) [2011] NSWLEC 104 Hearne v Street [2008] HCA 36; (2008) 235 CLR 125 Hili v R; Jones v R [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 Liverpool City Council v Palerma Pty Ltd (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 45 Mosman Municipal Council v Kelly (No 4) [2009] NSWLEC 115 Mosman Municipal Council v Kelly (No 6) [2010] NSWLEC 20 NCR Australia Pty Ltd v Credit Connection Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 1118 Owners Strata Plan 37762 v Pham (No 2) [2007] NSWLEC 306 Pang v Bydand Holdings Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 69 Pelechowski v The Registrar, Court of Appeal [1999] HCA 19; (1999) 198 CLR 435 Pittwater Council v Brown Brothers Waste Contractors Pty Ltd (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 210 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Registrar of the Court of Appeal v Maniam (No 2) (1992) 26 NSWLR 309 Street v Hearne [2007] NSWCA 113; (2007) 70 NSWLR 231 Witham v Holloway [1995] HCA 3; (1995) 183 CLR 525 Wood v Staunton (No 5) (1996) 86 A Crim R 183 Texts Cited: GE Dal Pont, Law of Costs, 2nd ed (2009) LexisNexis Butterworths Category: Principal judgment Parties: Canterbury City Council (Prosecutor) Basilios Mihalopoulos (Defendant) Representation: Mr M Wright (Prosecutor) Mr B Galloway (solicitor) (Defendant) Marsdens Law Group (Prosecutor) Galloways Solicitors & Attorneys (Defendant) File Number(s): 40694 of 2010