R v Thompson Kimura and William Rodney Swan (No 1) [2016] NSWSC 568

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Thompson Kimura and William Rodney Swan (No 1) [2016] NSWSC 568 Hearing dates: 05 May 2016 Decision date: 06 May 2016 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: N Adams J Decision: (1) Photographs showing non-tested areas of staining on accused Swan's shorts admissible. (2) Evidence of opinion that those areas of staining are blood inadmissible. (3) Actual shorts admissible. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – evidence – application to exclude evidence under s 137 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) – where photographs of shorts worn by accused Swan show several areas of staining – where only one stain tested for blood or DNA – probative value of evidence of other similar stains in circumstances where possibility of secondary transference raised – whether evidence unfairly prejudicial – evidence of staining admissible – evidence of crime scene officer's opinion inadmissible Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 137 Cases Cited: Papakosmas v R (1999) 196 CLR 297 Mundarra Smith v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 650 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Regina Thompson Kimura William Rodney Swan Representation: Counsel: M Cunneen SC (Crown) M Dennis (Accused Swan) C Bruce SC (Accused Kimura)

Solicitors: Solicitor for Public Prosecutions (Crown) Blair Criminal Laywers (Accused Swan) NSW Legal Aid (Accused Kimura) File Number(s): 2013/00117926; 2013/00117929 Publication restriction: Nil