R v Brooks (No 2) [2017] NSWSC 260

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Brooks (No 2) [2017] NSWSC 260 Hearing dates: 8 March 2017 Date of orders: 08 March 2017 Decision date: 08 March 2017 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Hamill J Decision: (Crown) Application for discharge of jury refused. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – application by Crown Prosecutor to discharge jury – opening address by defence counsel – accused "sitting in gaol for two years waiting to be able to give you his account of what happened" – whether breach of statutory right to open – where Crown referred to fact that accused in custody – right of defence to respond – where response inappropriate – whether balance of address emotive or argumentative – meaning of expression "matters to be raised by the accused" – address otherwise appropriate – where directions capable of curing prejudice to prosecution – discharge of jury not justified – no high degree of necessity to abort trial Legislation Cited: Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Cases Cited: Crofts v R (1996) 186 CLR 427; [1996] HCA 22 Harkins v R [2015] NSWCCA 263 Khazaal v R [2011] NSWCCA 129; (2011) 265 FLR 276 KNP v R (2006) 67 NSWLR 227; [2006] NSWCCA 213 Maric v R (1978) 52 ALJR 631 Miller v R [2015] NSWCCA 206 R v Boland [1974] VR 849 R v Brooks [2017] NSWSC 188 R v George (1987) 9 NSWLR 527 R v Karapandzk (2008) 101 SASR 7; [2008] SASC 126 R v McCullough [1982] Tas R 43; (1982) 6 A Crim R 274 R v MM [2004] NSWCCA 81; (2004) 145 A Crim R 148 Taleb v R [2015] NSWCCA 105 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Regina Bradley Brooks Representation: Counsel: Huw Baker (Crown) Andrew Boe (B Brooks)