Fadel v R [2017] NSWCCA 134

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Fadel v R [2017] NSWCCA 134 Hearing dates: 10 March 2017 Decision date: 16 June 2017 Before: Simpson JA at [1]; Button J at [160]; N Adams J at [161] Decision: (1) Appeal against conviction dismissed;

(2) Leave granted to appeal against the sentence;

(3) Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – appeal – evidence – witnesses – in-court identification – whether in-court identification evidence in circumstances where the witness had previously identified the accused required the discharging of the jury – whether direction by trial judge advising the jury to disregard in-court identification was adequate to cure prejudice – no error established

EVIDENCE – appeal – absence of DNA evidence – where counsel invited the jury to draw an exculpatory inference from an absence of DNA evidence – whether trial judge erred in directing the jury to treat the absence of DNA evidence as neutral – no error established

CRIMINAL LAW – appeal – conviction – assault occasioning grievous bodily harm – whether conviction unreasonable and unsupported by the evidence – discrepancies in identification evidence – evidence of another person making an admission – verdict of guilty open on the evidence

CRIMINAL LAW – appeal – sentence – assault occasioning grievous bodily harm – whether sentencing judge erred in assessing objective seriousness – whether sentence manifestly excessive – appeal dismissed Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), Pt 4, Div 1A Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 33 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 55, 56, 116, 137, 165 Cases Cited: Alexander v The Queen (1981) 145 CLR 395; [1981] HCA 17 Aslett v R [2009] NSWCCA 188 Davies v The King; Cody v The King (1937) 57 CLR 170; [1937] HCA 27 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Domican v R (No 3) (1990) 46 A Crim R 428 Domican v The Queen (1992) 173 CLR 555; [1992] HCA 13 Festa v The Queen (2001) 208 CLR 593; [2001] HCA 72 Jones v The Queen (1997) 191 CLR 439; [1997] HCA 56 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 MFA v The Queen (2002) 213 CLR 606; [2002] HCA 53 Osland v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 316; [1998] HCA 75 Raumakita v R (2011) 210 A Crim 326; [2011] NSWCCA 126 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 TK v R (2009) 74 NSWLR 299; [2009] NSWCCA 151 Vuni v R [2006] NSWCCA 171 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mohamed Fadel (Appellant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J I Ghabrial (Appellant) S Hughes (Respondent)