Cameron v R [2017] NSWCCA 229

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Cameron v R [2017] NSWCCA 229 Hearing dates: 14 August 2017 Decision date: 27 September 2017 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Button J at [16]; Hamill J at [35] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal granted.

(2) Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – murder – cultivation of large commercial quantity of cannabis – where murder planned premeditated and motivated to avoid detection of drug offence – assistance to authorities – disclosure of location of victim's corpse – whether discount for assistance inadequate – parity of sentencing – concept of material difference – whether differences in cases justified differences in sentences imposed – co-offender young with no prior offences and medical condition – applicant middle aged man with substantial history of drug cultivation – where sentencing judge partially accumulated sentences in applicant's case – where sentence at top of range but not manifestly excessive – whether combination of justifiable differences might give rise to total sentence offending parity principle – life expectancy tables – whether relevant to sentencing – whether sentence manifestly excessive – appeal dismissed by majority Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 21A, 23, 44, 61 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 26 Cases Cited: Barton v R [2009] NSWCCA 164 Des Rosiers v R [2006] NSWCCA 16; (2006) 159 A Crim R 549 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 194; (2010) 79 NSWLR 1 England v R; Phanith v R [2009] NSWCCA 274 Goebel-McGregor v R [2006] NSWCCA 390 Green & Quinn v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462; [2011] HCA 49 Hili [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 Lowe v R (1984) 154 CLR 606; [1984] HCA 46 PG v R [2017] NSWCCA 179 Postiglione v The Queen [1997] HCA 26; (1997) 189 CLR 295 R v Cameron, Forward and Wilkinson [2016] NSWSC 1342 R v BWT (2002) 54 NSWLR 241; [2002] NSWCCA 60 R v Qaumi, Qaumi and Qaumi (Sentence) [2017] NSWSC 774 Street v Queensland Bar Association (1989) 168 CLR 461; [1989] HCA 53 Ta'ala v R [2008] NSWCCA 132 Tan v R [2014] NSWCCA 96 Tuivaga v R [2015] NSWCCA 145 Wong v R (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Donald John Cameron (Applicant) Regina (Respondent Crown) Representation: Counsel: Mr J Stratton SC with Ms M Curry (Applicant) Ms M Cinque SC (Respondent Crown)