R v Biber [2018] NSWCCA 271

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Biber [2018] NSWCCA 271 Hearing dates: 10 August 2018 Date of orders: 29 November 2018 Decision date: 29 November 2018 Before: Meagher JA; Hoeben CJ at CL; Fagan J Decision: Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME – sentencing – where respondent pleaded guilty to offence "enter a foreign State with intent to engage in a hostile activity in that foreign State" contrary to Crimes (Foreign Incursions and Recruitment) Act 1978 (Cth), s 6(1)(a) – respondent entered Syria with intent to engage in "armed hostilities" – sentenced to 4 years and 9 months imprisonment, with 2 years and 6 months non-parole period – Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions appealed – whether sentencing judge erred in characterisation of the objective seriousness of the offending – whether sentencing judge erred in finding that the respondent had "reasonable" prospects of rehabilitation – whether sentence manifestly inadequate Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), s 16A Crimes (Foreign Incursions and Recruitment) Act 1978 (Cth), s 6 Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 1987 (Cth), s 22 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5D Cases Cited: Alqudsi v Commonwealth of Australia (2015) 91 NSWLR 92; [2015] NSWCA 351 CMB v Attorney-General for the State of New South Wales (2015) 256 CLR 346; [2015] HCA 9 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v MHK (2017) 52 VR 272; [2017] VSCA 157 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Lodhi v The Queen (2007) 179 A Crim R 470; [2007] NSWCCA 360 Mulato v Regina [2006] NSWCCA 282 R v Alqudsi [2016] NSWSC 1227 R v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 R v Pham (2015) 256 CLR 550; [2015] HCA 39 R v Pogson; R v Lapham; R v Martin (2012) 82 NSWLR 60; [2012] NSWCCA 225 R v Succarieh; R v Succarieh; Ex parte Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions [2017] QCA 85 Regina v KB; Regina v KL; Regina v RJB [2011] NSWCCA 190 The Queen v Ashdown [2003] VSCA 216 Texts Cited: JD Heydon, Cross on Evidence, (11th ed 2017, LexisNexis) at [1170] Category: Principal judgment Parties: Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (Appellant) Mehmet Biber (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: SM McNaughton SC and L Crowley (Appellant) R Wilson and M Fokkes (Respondent)