R v Holdom [2018] NSWSC 1677

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Holdom [2018] NSWSC 1677 Hearing dates: 28 September 2018 Decision date: 30 November 2018 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: R A Hulme J Decision: Sentenced to imprisonment for life Catchwords: CRIME - sentencing - murder of woman and child -offender sexually assaulted woman and inserted objects into vagina and anus around time of death -photographed sexual assault and body of deceased -attempted to sexually assault woman's 2 year old child then suffocated her - disposed of child's body in suitcase on side of highway - sent text messages to deceased's family to allay suspicion - stole $72,000 from deceased's bank account - guilty plea - no expression of remorse - offender with dysfunctional and abusive childhood - offender with substance abuse disorder - lengthy criminal antecedents including sexual assault of 9-year-old child - not established how offender's childhood beared upon his commission of murders - both murders in top range of objective seriousness - worst case category -culpability so extreme that interests of community protection, retribution, punishment and deterrence can only be met by imposition of life sentences Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) Pt 2 Div 3A Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 19A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 3A(g), 21(1), 21A(3)(i), 28(4), 61(1) Cases Cited: Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Fardon v Attorney General (Qld) (2004) 223 CLR 575; [2004] HCA 46 Ibbs v The Queen (1987) 163 CLR 447; [1987] HCA 46 Imbornone v R [2017] NSWCCA 144 Judge v R [2018] NSWCCA 203 Knight v R (2006) 164 A Crim R 126; [2006] NSWCCA 292 Olbrich v The Queen (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 R v Garforth (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 23 May 1994, unrep) R v Harris (2000) 50 NSWLR 409; [2000] NSWCCA 469 R v Hillsley [2006] NSWCCA 312; 164 A Crim R 252 R v Merritt (2004) 59 NSWLR 557; [2004] NSWCCA R v Miles [2002] NSWCCA 276 R v Robinson [2002] NSWCCA 359 R v SLD (2003) 58 NSWLR 589; [2003] NSWCCA 310 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 R v Valera [2002] NSWCCA 50 The Queen v Kilic (2016) 259 CLR 256; [2016] HCA 48 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 at 473, 474; [1988] HCA 14 Category: Sentence Parties: Regina Daniel James Holdom Representation: Counsel: Mr M Tedeschi AM QC with Ms V Engel (Crown) Dr G Woods QC with Mr T Woods (Offender)