R v TP [2018] NSWSC 369

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v TP [2018] NSWSC 369 Hearing dates: 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 March 2018 Date of orders: 23 March 2018 Decision date: 23 March 2018 Before: Hamill J Decision: (1) Sentenced to imprisonment for 4 years with a non-parole period of 18 months. (2) Various recommendations made. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – blunt tool – sentencing – manslaughter – gross negligence – parent's instinct to protect child – fundamental aspect of the human condition – twelve year old daughter victim of brutal assaults by stepfather – failure of mother to protect the child – failure to seek medical treatment – "battered wife syndrome" – "intimate partner extreme violence" – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – severe depression – impact on sentence – substantial reduction in moral culpability – impact on deterrence – least possible punishment – impact of custodial sentence – special circumstances Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 3, 3A, 5, 7, 12, 21(2), 28(4), 29(4), 44 Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act (NSW) 2006 Cases Cited: BW v R [2011] NSWCCA 176 Champion (1992) 64 A Crim R 24 DPP v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 194 Hill v R [2003] NSWCCA 16 Israil v R [2002] NSWCCA 255 Lavallee v The Queen (1990) 55 CCC (3d) 97 Luque v R [2017] NSWCCA 226 Munda v Western Australia [2013] HCA 38 People (New York) v Torres 488 NYS 2d 358 (1985) R v Engert (1995) 84 A Crim R 67 R v Eriksson [2001] NSWSC 781 R v George [2004] NSWCCA 247 R v HA, unreported NSWSC (Rothman J) 18 December 2008 R v Hines (No 3) [2014] NSWSC 1273 R v JK [2018] NSWSC 250 R v Lattouf, unreported, Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW) 12 December 1996 R v Letteri, unreported, Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 18 March 1992 R v Lorenz [1998] ACTSC 81; 146 FLR 369 R v O'Brien [2003] NSWCCA 121 R v Oakes [1995] 2 NZLR 673 R v Runjanjic & Anor (1991) 56 SASR 114 at 118 R v Wilkinson [1999] NSWCCA 248 Ryan v R [2017] NSWCCA 209 State (New Mexico) v Gallegos 719 P 2d 1268 (1986) Texts Cited: Elizabeth Sheehy, Julie Stubbs and Julia Tolmie, 'Securing Fair Outcomes for Battered Women Charged with Homicide: Analysing Defence Lawyering in R v Falls' (2014) 38(2) Melbourne University Law Review 666 Dr Patricia Easteal 'Battered Women Who Kill: A Plea of Self-Defence' (Paper presented at the ACI Conference Proceedings: Women and the Law, Canberra, 24-26 September 1991) Category: Sentence Parties: Regina (Crown) TP (Offender) Representation: Counsel: Mr L Carr (Crown) Ms J Manuell SC (Offender)