R v Hutchinson [2018] NSWCCA 152

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Hutchinson [2018] NSWCCA 152 Hearing dates: 9 July 2018 Decision date: 15 August 2018 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; R A Hulme J at [2]; Button J at [89] Decision: Crown appeal dismissed Catchwords: CRIME – Crown sentence appeal – possession and transmission of child abuse material – male applicant posed as 18 year old female to obtain explicit images from young teenage boys – applicant also in possession of over 500 child abuse files – applicant had good prior character and prospects of rehabilitation – sentenced to 17 months imprisonment with minimum period to serve of 8 months – whether sentencing judge erred in assessment of objective seriousness – judge's specification of objective seriousness not indicative of error – whether judge failed to comply with s 19AC(1) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) – judge did fail to comply with s 19AC but not apparent that failure affected sentence – ground upheld – whether sentences manifestly inadequate – sentence very lenient but not manifestly inadequate – appeal dismissed Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) ss 16A(2)(ea), 91H(2) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) ss 16A, 17A, 19AC(1) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) s 5, 21A Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) s 5D(1) Criminal Code (Cth) s 474.19(1) Cases Cited: Burbridge v R [2016] NSWCCA 128 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Guest [2014] VSCA 29 DPP (Cth) v Walls [2014] VSCA 323 Fedele v R [2015] NSWCCA 286; (2016) 257 A Crim R 78 Fitzgerald v R [2015] NSWCCA 266 Hong v R [2017] NSWCCA 238 James v R [2009] NSWCCA 62 Lyons v R [2017] NSWCCA 204 Minehan v R [2010] NSWCCA 140; 201 A Crim R 243 Mouscas v R [2008] NSWCCA 181 Mulato v R [2006] NSWCCA 282 Peters v R [2018] NSWCCA 126 R v Booth [2009] NSWCCA 89 R v Chaplin [2012] NSWDC 301 R v De Leeuw [2015] NSWCCA 183 R v Hampton (1998) 44 NSWLR 729; 101 A Crim R 399 R v Linardon [2014] NSWCCA 247 R v Martin [2014] NSWCCA 283; 246 A Crim R 477 R v McNaughton (2006) 66 NSWLR 566; [2006] NSWCCA 242 R v Philpot [2015] ACTSC 96 R v Porte [2015] NSWCCA 174; 252 A Crim R 294 R v Tham [2017] NSWDC 40 R v Wood [2015] NSWCCA 231 Saddler v R [2009] NSWCCA 83; 194 A Crim R 452 Smit v The State of Western Australia [2011] WASCA 124 The Queen v De Simoni (1981) 147 CLR 383; [1981] HCA 31 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina (Appellant) James Michael Hutchinson (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Ms S McNaughton SC with Ms J Paingakulam (Crown) Mr G James QC (Respondent)