Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Gow [2015] NSWCCA 208

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Gow [2015] NSWCCA 208 Hearing dates: 5 June 2015 Decision date: 05 August 2015 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Garling J at [56]; Hamill J at [71] Decision: Dismiss the Director's appeal against sentence. Catchwords: APPEAL – federal offences – Director's appeal against sentence – manifest inadequacy of sentence as only ground of appeal – respondent sentenced to 8 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 5 years for drug importation – no guilty plea or other significant mitigating factors – head sentence lenient but not below available range – non-parole period within appropriate range – principles related to prosecution appeal – whether sentence affected by error in point of principle – discretionary considerations where Director's approach to appropriate sentence inconsistent in comparable case – Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5D(1)

CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – federal offences – discount for guilty plea – applicability of state and territory laws and practices to discounts for guilty plea in sentencing for federal offences – whether such laws picked up by Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), ss 68, 69 or 70 – Cameron v The Queen [2002] HCA 6; 209 CLR 339 discussed – Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), s 16A

CRIMINAL LAW – sentence appeal – prosecution appeal – manifest inadequacy alleged – both parties relied on sentences in similar cases – utility of comparative exercise with previous sentences Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), ss 16, 16A; Pt 1B Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), s 68A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 22 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5D Criminal Code 1995 (Cth), s 307.1 Criminal Procedure Act 2009 (Vic), ss 289, 290 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), ss 68, 79, 80 Cases Cited: Bui v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) [2012] HCA 1; 244 CLR 638 Cameron v The Queen [2002] HCA 6; 209 CLR 339 CMB v The Queen [2015] HCA 9; 89 ALJR 407 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Bui [2011] VSCA 61 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 194; 79 NSWLR 1; 243 FLR 28 Everett v The Queen [1994] HCA 49; 181 CLR 295 Green v The Queen [2011] HCA 49; 244 CLR 462 Griffiths v The Queen (1977) 137 CLR 293 Hili v The Queen [2010] HCA 45; 242 CLR 520 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; 78 ALJR 616 Lee v R [2012] NSWCCA 123 Lowndes v The Queen [1999] HCA 29; 195 CLR 665 Munda v State of Western Australia [2013] HCA 38; 249 CLR 600 Ng v R (Cth) [2010] NSWCCA 232 Peel v The Queen (1971) 125 CLR 447 The Queen v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; 199 CLR 270 R v Aaron Tran [2013] NSWCCA 136 R v Agboti [2014] QCA 280 R v Calis [2013] QCA 165 R v Clarke [1996] 2 VR 520 R v Considine [2013] NSWCCA 97 R v Gallagher (1991) 23 NSWLR 220 R v Holland [2011] NSWCCA 65; 205 A Crim R 429 R v Karan [2013] NSWCCA 53 R v Thathiah [2012] QCA 195 R v Thomson, R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; 49 NSWLR 383 Siganto v The Queen [1998] HCA 74; 194 CLR 656 Webber v R [2014] NSWCCA 111 Wong v The Queen [2001] HCA 64; 207 CLR 584 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (Appellant) James Kyle Gow (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr R J Bromwich SC/Ms S Talbert (Appellant) Ms P M Wass SC/Ms C Bembrick (Respondent)