R v Chandler; Chandler v R [2012] NSWCCA 135

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Chandler; Chandler v R [2012] NSWCCA 135 Hearing dates: 8 June 2012 Decision date: 28 June 2012 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1] Basten JA at [2] Hoeben JA at [10] McClellan CJ at CL at [100] Johnson J at [101] Decision: Crown appeal dismissed. Grant leave to appeal to the applicant but dismiss the appeal. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW - Crown appeal against sentence - robbery and assault with intent to rob offences - whether sentencing judge erred in his approach to issue of mental illness - offender with lifelong mental illness problems - relevance of specific and general deterrence - abuse of drugs and mental illness both contributing to commission of offences - sentences imposed not manifestly inadequate - APPEAL against sentence by applicant - parity - considerations relevant to operation of parity principle - different sentencing judges - whether later sentencing judge should go behind findings of earlier sentencing judge - whether sentencing judge should go behind exercise of prosecutorial discretion to examine parity of treatment with regard to co-offenders charged with different offences - whether that issue properly arose on facts - no scope for operation of parity principle. Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 - s59(2), s94, s97(1), s99, s154A(1)(b), s349, Criminal Appeal Act 1912 - s55D Cases Cited: Dwayhi v R; Bechara v R [2011] NSWCCA 67; 205 A Crim R 274 El Jalkh v R [2011] NSWCCA 236 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; 230 CLR 89 Green v The Queen; Quinn v The Queen [2011] HCA 49, 86 ALJR 36 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; 55 CLR 499 Jimmy v R [2010] NSWCCA 60; 77 NSWLR 540 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; 228 CLR 357 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; 244 CLR 120 OM v R [2009] NSWCCA 267 R v Green and Quinn [2010] NSWCCA 313; 207 A Crim R 148 R v Hemsley [2004] NSWCCA 228 R v Henry & Ors [1999] NSWCCA 111; 46 NSWLR 346 R v Israil [2002] NSWCCA 255 R v Kerr [2003] NSWCCA 234 R v Nguyen, R v Pham [2010] NSWCCA 238, 205 A Crim R 106 Regina v Z [2006] NSWCCA 342; 167 A Crim R 436 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina - Applicant/Respondent Benjamin Chandler - Respondent/Applicant Representation: Counsel: Mr P Ingram SC/ Ms T Smith/Mr P Wallis - Appellant/Respondent Crown Dr JB Berwick/Mr AJP Reynolds - Respondent/Appellant Solicitors: S Kavanagh, Solicitor for Public Prosecutions - Appellant/Respondent Crown B Sandland, Legal Aid NSW - Respondent/Appellant File Number(s): 2009/44437 2010/156698 Decision under appeal Date of Decision: 2011-11-08 00:00:00 Before: Armitage DCJ File Number(s): 2009/044437 2010/156698