Beckett v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWSC 1017

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Beckett v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWSC 1017 Hearing dates: 28-31 July; 4-8, 12-15,18-22, 27–29 August; 27, 28,30,31 October; 3 -7, 10,11,13 November; 11,12,15,17 December 2014 Date of orders: 24 August 2015 Decision date: 24 August 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison J Decision: (1) Verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $2,310,350 plus interest. (2) Direct the parties within 7 days to provide me either with an agreed sum for interest on the verdict or in the absence of agreement written submissions not exceeding two pages setting out the amount (if any) for which the parties respectively contend. (3) Order that unless either party makes an application within 7 days for a different order the defendant is to pay the plaintiff's costs of and incidental to the proceedings. Catchwords: TORTS - malicious prosecution - whether prosecutor acted without reasonable and probable cause – where plaintiff's convictions quashed and new trial ordered on counts 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 and verdict of acquittal ordered on count 9 – where nolle prosequi subsequently filed - where prosecutor had no personal knowledge of the facts underlying the charges - whether prosecutor did not honestly form the view that there were proper cases for prosecution or whether the prosecutor formed that view on an insufficient basis.

TORTS - malicious prosecution - whether prosecutor acted maliciously - whether the sole or dominant purpose of the prosecutor was other than the proper invocation of the criminal law. Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Criminal Code (Qld) Evidence Act 1995 Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act 1973 Justices Act 1902 Cases Cited: A v New South Wales [2007] HCA 10; (2007) 230 CLR 500 Abbott v Refuge Assurance Company [1962] 1 QB 432 Adams v Kennedy & Ors [2000] NSWCA 152; (2000) 49 NSWLR 78 AW & Ors v State of New South Wales [2005] NSWSC 543 Beckett v New South Wales [2014] NSWSC 1164 Beckett v New South Wales [2013] HCA 17; (2013) 248 CLR 432 Berry v British Transport Commission [1962] 1 QB 306 Bhattacharya v New South Wales [2003] NSWSC 261 Blatch v Archer (1774) 1 Cowp 63; 98 ER 969 Briginshaw v Briginshaw [1938] HCA 38; (1938) 60 CLR 336 Brown v Hawkes (1891) 2 QB 718 Cassell & Co Limited v Broome & Anor [1972] AC 1027 Coyle v State of New South Wales [2006] NSWCA 95 Dent v Standard Life Assurance Ltd (1904) 4 SR (NSW) 560 G v H [1994] HCA 48; 181 CLR 387 George v Rockett [1990] HCA 26; (1990) 170 CLR 104 Gilinski v McIver [1962] AC 726 Helton v Allen [1940] HCA 20; (1940) 63 CLR 691 Houda v State of New South Wales [2005] NSWSC 1053 Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; (1959) 101 CLR 298 Kuddus v Chief Constable of Leicestershire Constabulary [2002] 2 AC 122 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Limited [2011] HCA 11; (2011) 243 CLR 361 Lamb v Cotogno [1987] HCA 47; (1987)164 CLR 1 Lee v Kennedy [2000] NSWCA 153 Leibo v Buckman [1952] 2 All ER 1057 McDonald v Coles Myer Limited (trading as "K-mart Chatswood") [1995] NSWSC 67; (1995) AustTorts R 81-361 Molinara v Perre Bros Lock 4 Pty Ltd [2014] SASCFC 115 Morro, N & Ahadizad v Australian Capital Territory [2009] ACTSC 118; (2009) 4 ACTLR 78 Moses v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWDC 243 Neat Holdings Pty Ltd v Karajan Holdings Pty Ltd [1992] HCA 66; (1992) 67 ALJR 170 Noye v Robbins & Anor [2007] WASC 98 Nye v The State of New South Wales [2003] NSWSC 1212; (2004) AustTorts R 81-725 Proulx v Quebec (Attorney General) [2001] 3 SCR 9 R v Roseanne Catt (1993) 68 A Crim R 189 Regina v Catt [2005] NSWCCA 279 Savile v Roberts (1698) 1 Ld Raym 374 Sharp v Biggs [1932] HCA 54; (1932) 48 CLR 81 Slaveski v Victoria [2010] VSC 441 Spautz v Butterworth & Anor [1996] NSWSC 614; (1996) 41 NSWLR 1 State of New South Wales v Delly [2007] NSWCA 303; (2007) AustTorts R 81-816 State of New South Wales v Hunt [2014] NSWCA 47, (2014) 86 NSWLR 226 State of New South Wales v Ibbett [2006] HCA 57; (2006) 229 CLR 638 State of New South Wales v Koumdjiev [2005] NSWCA 247; (2005) 63 NSWLR 353 State of New South Wales & Or v Landini [2010] NSWCA 157 State of New South Wales v Riley [2003] NSWCA 208; (2003) 57 NSWLR 496 Thompson v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [1998] QB 498 Triggell v Pheeney [1951] HCA 23; (1951) 82 CLR 497 Trobridge v Hardy [1955] HCA 68; (1955) 94 CLR 147 Walter v Alltools (1944) 61 TLR 39 XL Petroleum (NSW) Pty Ltd v Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 12; (1985) 155 CLR 448 Zreika v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWDC 67 Texts Cited: Ancius Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, (Revised Ed, Book II) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Roseanne Beckett (Plaintiff) State of New South Wales (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: P E Blacket SC, K Nomchong SC & N Broadbent (Plaintiff) J E Maconachie QC, P Saidi & A N Williams (Defendant)