Merkel v R [2019] NSWCCA 212

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Merkel v R [2019] NSWCCA 212 Hearing dates: 29 July 2019 Date of orders: 06 September 2019 Decision date: 06 September 2019 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1] Johnson J at [2] Wright J at [3] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal granted. (2) Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME — Appeals — Appeal against sentence — Application for leave to appeal — Intellectual disability and moral culpability — No error in not taking into account intellectual disability when assessing moral culpability and objective seriousness when no causal connection between the disability and the offending established — Finding of special circumstances discretionary — No error in failing to finding special circumstances — Sentence not manifestly excessive Legislation Cited: Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014 Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Cases Cited: Aslan v R [2014] NSWCCA 114 AWKO v R [2010] NSWCCA 90 Barbaro v The Queen; Zirilli v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 58; [2014] HCA 2 Caristo v R [2011] NSWCCA 7 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Jones v R [2012] NSWCCA 262 Kite v Regina [2009] NSWCCA 12 MLP v R [2006] NSWCCA 271 MLP v R [2014] NSWCCA 183 MRW v R [2011] NSWCCA 260 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Obeid v R (2017) 96 NSWLR 155; [2017] NSWCCA 221 R v AJP [2004] NSWCCA; 150 A Crim R 575 R v Egan [2016] NSWCCA 285 R v Fidow [2004] NSWCCA 172 R v Muldrock; Muldrock v R [2012] NSWCCA 108 R v Ronald King [2009] NSWCCA 117 Roach v R [2019] NSWCCA 160 RR v R [2011] NSWCCA 235 Stines v R [2019] NSWCCA 115 SW v R [2013] NSWCCA 255 Veen v R (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 Yun v R [2017] NSWCCA 317 Category: Principal judgment Parties: John Martin Merkel (Applicant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: S Kluss (Applicant) D Patch (Respondent)