R v El Jamal [2019] NSWDC 153

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v El Jamal [2019] NSWDC 153 Hearing dates: 22 November 2018, 23 November 2018,17 April 2019, 18 April 2019 Date of orders: 01 May 2019 Decision date: 01 May 2019 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 14 years. Non parole period of 9 years 8 months. Catchwords: SENTENCING — Attempt to import a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border controlled drug – 3.7kg pure methylamphetamine – serious matter on schedule – fact finding on sentence – Evidence Act applies – assessing witnesses – expert psychiatric evidence not accepted – offender's evidence not accepted – offender with no credibility – long criminal history – hardship in custody – proportionality with co-offender.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE — Direction that the Evidence Act applies.

CRIME — Drug offences — Commonwealth offences — Import border-controlled prohibited plant or drug. Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 Cases Cited: Afu v R [2017] NSWCCA 246 Attorney General's Application No. 1 (2002) 56 NSWLR 146 Barbaro v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 58 Cartwright v R (1989) 17 NSWLR 243 Dennison v R [2011] NSWCCA 114 Devaney v R [2012] NSWCCA 285 DPP v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 194, (2010) 205 A Crim R 1; (2010) 79 NSWLR 1 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118 Green v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520 Johnson v R [2010] NSWCCA 124 Lamella [2014] NSWCCA 122 MAK v R [2006] NSWCCA 381 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 Nguyen [2010] NSWCCA 238 Olbrich v The Queen (1999) 199 CLR 270 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295 Power v The Queen (1974) 131 CLR 623 R v Clinch (1994) 72 A Crim R 301 R v Moradian (2011) NSWDC 130 Simpson v R [2011] NSWCCA 534; (2011) 53 NSWLR 704 R v Thomson (2000) 49 NSWLR 383. The Queen v Pham [2015] HCA 39 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 at 477 Xiao v R [2018] NSWCCA 4 Texts Cited: Parole Supervision and Re-offending: Wai-Yin Wan, Suzanne Poynton, Gerard van Doorn and Don Weatherburn (2016) Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology v149. No.4. p497. Category: Sentence Parties: Fadi El Jamal (the offender) Director of Public Prosecutions (Commonwealth) Representation: Counsel: Ms A Moen (for the offender) Mr S Buchen SC (for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Commonwealth)