R v Fang (No. 3) [2017] NSWSC 28

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Fang (No. 3) [2017] NSWSC 28 Hearing dates: 21 November 2016 Date of orders: 21 November 2016 Decision date: 03 February 2017 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: Johnson J Decision: Reasons for decision refusing to leave the defence of mental illness to the jury at the trial of the Accused Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – murder trial - Accused stabbed victim 20 times - whether defence of mental illness should be left to the jury - Accused using methylamphetamine ("Ice") for about 12 months before killing - Accused had no family history of mental illness - Accused smoked significant quantity of "Ice" before killing - psychiatric evidence that Accused was subject to a defect of reason (a delusion) by reason of a disease of the mind (drug-induced psychosis) at the time of the killing - no other psychiatric condition present at the time - whether there was evidence of "disease of the mind" - held that no evidence of a "disease of the mind" in these circumstances - in any event, condition of Accused was substantially affected by substantial ingestion of "Ice" before the killing - defence of mental illness not left to the jury Legislation Cited: Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 (Vic) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Crimes Act 1900 Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 Cases Cited: Attorney General of NSW v X [2013] NSWSC 1392 Bouchard-Lebrun v The Queen [2011] SCC 58; [2011] 3 SCR 575 Butler v State of Western Australia [2010] WASCA 104 Director of Public Prosecutions v Ararvanitidis [2008] VSCA 189 McNamara v State of Western Australia [2013] WASCA 63 R v Ayoub [1984] 2 NSWLR 511 R v Dargin [2008] NSWSC 751 R v De Souza (1997) 41 NSWLR 656 R v Derbin [2000] NSWCCA 361 R v Doolan [2010] NSWSC 147 R v Fang (No. 2) [2016] NSWSC 1784 R v Gagalowicz [2005] NSWCCA 452 R v Gibson [2016] VSC 634 R v Ham [2009] NSWSC 296 R v Jennings [2005] NSWSC 789 R v Kemp [1957] QB 399 R v Konidaris [2014] VSC 89 R v Loveridge [2014] NSWCCA 120; 243 A Crim R 31 R v Lukins (1903) 19 WN (NSW) 90 R v M'Naghten (1843) 8 ER 718 R v Martin [2007] VSCA 291; 20 VR 14 R v Martin (No. 1) [2005] VSC 518; 159 A Crim 314 R v Parker [2009] VSCA 19 R v Radford [1985] 42 SASR 266 R v S [1979] 2 NSWLR 1 The King v Porter [1933] HCA 1; 55 CLR 182 R v Sebalj [2003] VSC 181 R v Sebalj [2006] VSCA 106 R v Stones (1955) 56 SR (NSW) 25 Smith v State of Western Australia [2010] WASCA 176 Stapleton v The Queen [1952] HCA 56; 86 CLR 358 The Queen v Falconer [1990] HCA 49; 171 CLR 30 The Queen v Sullivan [1984] AC 156 Woodbridge v R [2010] NSWCCA 185; 208 A Crim R 503 Texts Cited: Fisse, "Howard's Criminal Law", Law Book Co Limited, 5th edn, 1990 Gillies, "Criminal Law", Law Book Co Limited, 4th edn, 1997 Glanville Williams, "Criminal Law - the General Part", Stevens, 2nd edn, 1961 Howard and Westmore, "Crime and Mental Health Law in New South Wales", Lexis Nexis Butterworths, 2nd edn, 2010 Sir Owen Dixon, "A Legacy of Hadfield, M'Naghten and MacLean" (1957) 31 ALJ 255 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Regina (Crown) Zhen Fang (Accused) Representation: Counsel: Mr C Maxwell QC (Crown) Mr AJ Bellanto QC; Ms YC Lin (Accused)