R v Qaumi & Ors (No 24) [2016] NSWSC 505

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Qaumi & Ors (No 24) [2016] NSWSC 505 Hearing dates: 21-22 April 2016 Date of orders: 26 April 2016 Decision date: 26 April 2016 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: Hamill J Decision: (1) The evidence that Mr Kalal seeks to adduce, as set out in the particulars (MFI 25) and Ex VD 25, 26 and 27, is inadmissible. (2) The applications for separate trial by Farhad Qaumi, Mumtaz Qaumi and Jamil Qaumi do not arise. (3) I decline to make an order for separation or postponement of Mr Kalal's trial of my own motion. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – evidence – evidence relevant to defence of duress and the question of intention – evaluation of probative value – where prejudicial to co-accused – whether danger of unfair prejudice substantially outweighs probative value – gangland violence – turf war – where evidence ruled inadmissible when sought to be introduced by the prosecutor – different considerations when sought to be adduced as part of the defence case – where large body of other evidence going to the issue of duress – whether probative value thereby diminished – evidence excluded – whether exclusion of evidence should result in a separate trial – factors relevant to determination of separate trial application

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – case management provisions – defence reply inadequate and misleading – obligation on legal practitioners to comply with statutory provisions – significant waste of community resources – interruption and delay of jury trial. Legislation Cited: Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Cases Cited: Garrett v The Queen [1997] HCA 67; 139 CLR 477 IMM v The Queen [2016] HCA 14 R v Baker & Ward [1992] 2 Cr App R 335 R v CE [2005] NSWCCA 326 R v Hasan [2005] UKHL 22; [2005] Cr App R 22 R v Nguyen [2008] 181 A Crim R 72 R v Rogerson & McNamara (No 3) [2015] NSWSC 965 R v Rogerson & McNamara (No 45) [2016] NSWSC 452 R v Qaumi & Ors (No 3) (Severance and Separate Trials) [2016] NSWSC 15 R v Qaumi & Ors (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 115 R v Qaumi & Ors (No 23) [2016] NSWSC 429 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Regina Farhad Qaumi Mumtaz Qaumi Jamil Qaumi Mohammed Zarshoy Mohammed Kalal Representation: Counsel: K McKay & P Hogan (Crown) J Stratton SC & M Curry (F Qaumi) P Young SC (M Quami) N Carroll(J Quami) R Driels (Zarshoy) G Clarke (Kalal)