Chong v R [2017] NSWCCA 185

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Chong v R [2017] NSWCCA 185 Hearing dates: 7 July 2017 Date of orders: 02 August 2017 Decision date: 02 August 2017 Before: Basten JA at [1] Harrison J at [34] Schmidt J at [41] Decision: (1) Grant the applicant leave to appeal against the sentence imposed by the District Court on 14 October 2016. (2) Allow the appeal and set aside the sentence imposed by the sentencing judge. (3) Resentence the applicant to a non-parole period of 4 years imprisonment to date from 9 December 2015, with a balance of term of 2 years, being a sentence of 6 years imprisonment. (4) The earliest day on which the applicant is eligible for release on parole is 8 December 2019. Catchwords: CRIMINAL – sentencing – leave to appeal and appeal against sentence – plea of guilty –procedural fairness – whether sentence manifestly excessive – drug offence – supply of methylamphetamine – role in drug trafficking enterprise - comparable cases – effect of Regulation reducing threshold of large commercial quantity Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW); s 93TA Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 21A Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW), s 25, s 25(2) Drug Misuse and Trafficking Amendment (Methylamphetamine) Regulation 2015 (NSW) Cases Cited: AB v R [2013] NSWCCA 273 Butters v R [2010] NSWCCA 1 Cherdchoochatri v R (2013) 277 FLR 126; [2013] NSWCCA 118 Dinsdale v R (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Govindaraju v Regina [2011] NSWCCA 255 Lam v R; Lam v R [2015] NSWCCA 87 Lowndes v The Queen (1995) 195 CLR 665; [1999] HCA 29 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Parker v Director of Public Prosecutions (1992) 28 NSWLR 282 Paxton v R (2011) 219 A Crim R 104; [2011] NSWCCA 242 R v PGM (2008) 187 A Crim R 152; [2008] NSWCCA 172 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Ex parte Lam (2003) 214 CLR 1; [2003] HCA 6 R v Falls [2004] NSWCCA 335 R v Leroy [1984] 2 NSWLR 441 R v Tak Hok Chong [2016] NSWDC 248 Regina v Shi [2004] NSWCCA 135 R v Ferrer-Esis (1991) 55 A Crim R 231 R v MacDonnell (2002) 128 A Crim R 44; [2002] NSWCCA 34 R v Saleh, Haissan [2016] NSWCCA 216. R v Slater (2001) 121 A Crim R 369; [2001] NSWCCA 65 Saleh, Kassim v R [2016] NSWCCA 317 Stokes v Regina (2008) 185 A Crim R 74; [2008] NSWCCA 123 Tiknius v R (2011) 221 A Crim R 365; [2011] NSWCCA 215 The Queen v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 Toole, Kurt v R; Toole, Joshua v R (2014) 247 A Crim R 272; [2014] NSWCCA 318 Vaiusu v R [2017] NSWCCA 71 Wong v R (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Wienand v R [2013] NSWCCA 202 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tak Hok Chong (Applicant) Regina (Crown) Representation: Counsel: Mr S Pararajasingham (Applicant) Ms N Williams (Crown)