Sloan v R [2015] NSWCCA 279

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Sloan v R [2015] NSWCCA 279 Hearing dates: 20 August 2015 Date of orders: 04 November 2015 Decision date: 04 November 2015 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1] Price J at [2] Beech-Jones J at [3] Decision: (1) The Appellant be granted leave to raise ground 1 of the appeal; and

(2) The Appeal be dismissed. Catchwords: CONVICTION APPEAL – armed robbery – masked offenders – offenders' discarded clothes nearby – stocking worn over face of one offender – DNA testing of offenders' clothes – applicant's DNA found on stocking – whether conviction unreasonable – whether inference arose that applicant's DNA deposited while wearing stocking over head – whether possibility of indirect transference – whether reasonable alternative hypothesis could account for presence of DNA – evidence strongly pointed to applicant depositing DNA on stocking during robbery – conviction not unreasonable – appeal dismissed. Legislation Cited: - Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) – s 33B, s 97(2), s 154A - Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) – s 5(1), s 6 Cases Cited: - Burrell v R [2009] NSWCCA 193 - Chamberlain v R (No 2) [1984] HCA 7; 153 CLR 521 - Fitzgerald v The Queen [2014] HCA 28; 88 ALJR 779 - M v The Queen [1994] HCA 63; 181 CLR 487 - Morris v R [1987] HCA 50; 163 CLR 454 - Shepherd v R [1990] HCA 56; 170 CLR 573 - SKA v R [2011] HCA 13; 243 CLR 400 - W v R [2014] NSWCCA 110 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ashley Dwayne Sloan – Applicant Regina – Respondent Representation: Counsel: Ms T. Smith – Applicant D.L. Carroll – Respondent