R v Obeid (No 12) [2016] NSWSC 1815

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Obeid (No 12) [2016] NSWSC 1815 Hearing dates: 1 December 2016 Date of orders: 15 December 2016 Decision date: 15 December 2016 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Beech-Jones J Decision: (1) The offender is sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 5 years to commence on 15 December 2016, with a non-parole period of 3 years.

(2) The offender will be eligible for release on parole on 15 December 2019 and the sentence will expire on 14 December 2021. Catchwords: CRIME – SENTENCING – parliamentarian – found guilty of wilful misconduct in public office following trial – identifying facts necessarily found by jury – offender intervened in process of lease renewal over premises in which he and family held an interest – jury instructed that to convict had to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt accused intervened to advance lessee's interest and not because of any belief that it was in the interests of the electorate – principles relevant to sentencing offender for wilful misconduct in public office – identification of analogue statutory offence – use of maximum penalty for analogue offence as a reference point – absence of cohort of comparable cases – critical factor to determining level of criminality is nature of duty owed and extent of departure from duty owed – offender owed onerous duty – level of offending serious – general deterrence and need for denunciation – dominant considerations – offender's subjective case – prior good character of lesser weight in cases of wilful misconduct in public office – extra curial punishment in form of adverse publicity – no relevant form of harm to offender from publicity – offender's medical condition – offender aged 73 – various medical conditions including recent stroke – reduced life expectancy – although offender would not receive same level of care in custody would receive adequate level of care – delay – no delay on the part of prosecutorial or investigative bodies established – other sentencing factors – no prospect of offender reoffending – remorse not shown – offender cooperated in conduct of trial – no sentence other than full time imprisonment could be imposed – special circumstances established – term of imprisonment imposed Legislation Cited: Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 (NSW) Police Act 1990 (NSW) Police Integrity Commission Act 1996 (NSW) Cases Cited: Australian Communist Party v The Commonwealth [1951] HCA 5; 83 CLR 1 Barbaro v The Queen; Zirilli v The Queen [2014] HCA 2; (2014) 253 CLR 58 Barton v R [2009] NSWCCA 164 Blackstock v Regina [2013] NSWCCA 172 Blanco v R [1999] NSWCCA 121 Coles v R [2016] NSWCCA 32 DPP v Marks [2005] VSCA 277 Duncan v R [2012] NSWCCA 78 Einfeld v R [2010] NSWCCA 87 Ex parte Kearney [1917] NSW St Rp 68; 17 SR (NSW) 578 Goebel-McGregor v R [2006] NSWCCA 390 Griffiths v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 372 Hay v R [2013] NSWCCA 22 HKSAR v Wong Kwong Shun Paul [2009] 4 HKLRD 840 Horne v Barber [1920] HCA 33; 27 CLR 494 Hughes v R [2014] NSWCCA 15 Jackson & Hakim v R (1988) 33 A Crim R 413 Jansen v Regina [2013] NSWCCA 301 Jaturawong v Regina [2011] NSWCCA 168 Kenny v R [2010] NSWCCA 6 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; 244 CLR 120 Obeid v R [2015] NSWCCA 309 Question of Law Reserved (No 2 of 1996) 1996 67 SASR 63 R v Achurch [2011] NSWCCA 186; 216 A Crim R 152 R v Badanjak [2004] NSWCCA 395 R v BJW [2000] NSWCCA 60; 112 A Crim R 1 R v Boston [1923] HCA 59; 33 CLR 386 R v Bruneau, 1963 CarswellOnt 22; [1964] 1CCC 97; [1964] 1 OR 263, 42 CR 93 R v Einfeld [2009] NSWSC 119 R v Fidow [2004] NSWCCA 172 R v Hokin, Burton and Peisely (1922) 22 SR (NSW) 280 R v Nuttall; ex parte Attorney-General (Qld) [2011] QCA 120; 209 A Crim R 538 R v Obeid (No 11) [2016] NSWSC 974 R v Obeid (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 1380 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; 199 CLR 270 R v Phillip Hans Field HC Auckland CRI-2007-092-18132, 6 October 2009 R v Pieper [2014] NSWDC 242 R v Purcell [2010] NSWDC 98 R v Quach [2010] VSCA 106; 201 A Crim R 522 R v Qutami [2001] NSWCCA 353 R v Rivkin (2004) 59 NSWLR 284; [2004] NSWCCA 7 R v Rouse (Court of Criminal Appeal (Tas), 19 October 1990, unreported) R v Simpson [2001] NSWCCA 534; 53 NSWLR 704 R v Smith (1987) 44 SASR 587 R v Sopher (1993) 70 A Crim R 570 R v Williams (2005) 152 A Crim R 548 R v Wran [2016] NSWSC 1015 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267 Category: Sentence Parties: Regina (Crown) Edward Moses Obeid (Offender) Representation: Counsel: P Neil SC (Crown) B Hughes SC; N Mikhaiel (Offender)