R v Fatima Mehajer [2018] NSWLC 12

Local Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Fatima Mehajer [2018] NSWLC 12 Hearing dates: 15 & 26 June, 12 December 2017; 11 April, 14 & 22 June 2018 Decision date: 22 June 2018 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Magistrate B Schurr Decision: On each charge – conviction, sentence of 2 months imprisonment to date from 22 June 2018, suspended immediately upon entering into recognizance for 9 months under section 20(1)(b) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Catchwords: CRIMINAL – Sentence – Commonwealth offences - providing false and misleading information to a Commonwealth agency –above mid-range of seriousness - reliability of electoral roll affected - damage flow to democratic electoral system - guilty plea - utilitarian value - sincere remorse and contrition - reduced need for personal deterrence - custodial sentence appropriate - probable effect of sentence on family - exceptional hardship made out - health conditions of young children - ordered to enter in to recognizance Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) s 16A Criminal Code (Cth) s 137.1(1) Cases Cited: Naizmand v R [2018] NSWCCA 25 R v Di Simoni (1981) 147 CLR 383 R v Zerafa (2013) 235 A Crim R 265; [2013] NSWCCA 222 The Queen v Ehrmann [2001] QCA 50 The Queen v Sevastopoulos (unreported, Supreme Court of Victoria, Crockett J, 8 October 1985) Xiao v R [2018] NSWCCA 4 Category: Sentence Parties: Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (prosecutor) Fatima Mehajer (defendant) File Number(s): 2015/00382505 Publication restriction: Nil