R v Taleb (No 5) (Sentence) [2019] NSWSC 720

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Taleb (No 5) (Sentence) [2019] NSWSC 720 Hearing dates: 10 May 2019 Decision date: 14 June 2019 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Hamill J Decision: The offender is to enter into a recognizance pursuant to s 20(1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth). For conditions see [121]. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – Commonwealth Criminal Code – acts in preparation of foreign incursion offence – life imprisonment – young offender with schizophrenia – radical Islamism – offender planned to travel to Syria to fight with Islamic State – whether "entrapment" a mitigating feature – where offender took advice from undercover officer – offender not an unwary innocent – offender unable to organise own airfare – offender "radicalised" before involvement of undercover officer – offender's mother gravely ill with multiple sclerosis – offender's dilemma – where jury rejects defence of mental impairment – where offender's psychiatric condition played significant role in commission of offence – reduction in moral culpability – impact on weight to be given to deterrence – where telephone intercepts establish offender's interest in radical Islam – US government "the hope for humanity" – observation self-evidently facetious

CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – sentencing options – rehabilitation – where operation of statute would result in very short period of supervision – where offender in need of long term supervision – appropriateness of non-custodial sentence – where offender already served 2 years on remand Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 47 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment (Sentencing Options) Act 2017 (NSW) Criminal Code 1995 (Cth), ss 3, 7.3, 119.1, 119.4, Division 104 and Part 5.5 Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), ss 16A, 16BA, 16E, 17A, 19AG and 20 Cases Cited: Commissioner of Police, NSW v Taleb [2019] NSWSC 21 Commissioner of Police, NSW v Taleb (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 87 Commissioner of Police, NSW v Taleb (No 3) [2019] NSWSC 273 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v El Sabsabi [2017] VSCA 160 Ghamraoui v R [2009] NSWCCA 111 Hili v R; Jones v R (2010) 242 CLR 520 [2010] HCA 45 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 R v Alqudsi [2016] NSWSC 1227 R v Biber [2018] NSWCCA 271 R v Biber [2018] NSWSC 535 R v Cerantonio & Ors [2019] VSC 284 R v EB [2018] NSWSC 201 R v Fatima Elomar (District Court (NSW), 1 July 2016, unrep) R v Gray [2018] NSWCCA 241 R v Grbin [2004] NSWCCA 220 R v Israil [2002] NSWCCA 255 R v Khalid; R v Almaouie; R v IM; R v Rashad Al Maouie; R v Said [2017] NSWSC 1365 R v Lattouf (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 12 December 1996, unrep) R v Letteri (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 18 March 1992, unrep) R v Lodhi [2006] NSWSC 691; (2006) 199 FLR 364 R v Muir (Supreme Court (NSW), 3 April 1991, unrep) R v Rahme (1991) 53 A Crim R 8 R v Sloane (1990) 49 A Crim R 270 R v Succarieh; R v Succarieh; Ex parte Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions [2017] QCA 85 R v Taleb [2019] NSWSC 241. R v Taouk (1992) 65 A Crim R 387 R v Thomson [2000] NSWCCA 294 Ridgeway v The Queen (1995) 184 CLR 19; [1955] HCA 66 Sherman v United States 356 US 369 (1958) The Queen v Mohamed [2016] VSC 581 The Queen v Osenkowski (1982) 30 SASR 212 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584; [2001] HCA 64 Category: Sentence Parties: Regina Moudasser Taleb Representation: Counsel: P McDonald SC; S Duggan (Regina) M Finnane QC (Mr Taleb)