R v Gray [2019] NSWDC 550

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Gray [2019] NSWDC 550 Hearing dates: 4 October 2019 Decision date: 09 October 2019 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Haesler SC DCJ Decision: Sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 3 years. Non parole period of 1 year 6 months. Catchwords: SENTENCING - sentence after trial - sexual intercourse with child under 10 - maximum penalty life imprisonment - need to give content to maximum penalty - full benefit of acquittal on another count - child offender - brother of victim use of dildo - any penetration of a 5 year old objectively serious - victim impact statement - special circumstances adult gaol could harm prospects of rehabilitation - special circumstances found - sentence should be served in juvenile detention. SENTENCING – relevant factors on sentence - offender in family home - brother trusted to baby sit sister - child offender - immature offender - mental illness - autism spectrum disorder – impact on moral culpability – rehabilitation prospects - impact of denial of offending- rehabilitation programmes available - victim vindication – guidance offered by maximum penalty - retribution or rehabilitation - one factor can be determinative. Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 Crimes Act 1900 Cases Cited: Blackman & Walters [2001] NSWCCA 121 BP v R [2010] NSWCCA 159 Campbell v R [2018] NSWCCA 87 Clarke-Jeffries v R [2019] NSWCCA 56 DM v R [2005] NSW CCA 181 DPP v De La Rosa [2010] NSWCCA 194. Engert v R (1995) 84 A Crim R 67 Hearne v R (2001) 124 A Crim R 451 Howard v R [2019] NSWCCA 109 JM v R [2012] NSWCCA 83 KT v R (2008) 182 A Crim R 571 Munda v Western Australia (2013) 249 CLR 600 R v Simpson [2001] NSWCCA 534; 53 NSWLR 704 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267 Veen v The Queen No 2 (1988) 64 CLR 465 Yardley v Betts (1979) 22 SASR 108 Texts Cited: Juvenile sex offenders in the criminal justice system; D Kenny, Judicial Officers' Bulletin, Vol 27 No 4, 2015 Sentencing for the offence of sexual intercourse with a child under 10; P. Poletti, P. Mizzi and H. Donnelly: Sentence Trends and Issues. no 44, 2015 Category: Sentence Parties: John Gray - a pseudonym (the offender) Director of Public Prosecutions Representation: Counsel: Ms K Stares (for the offender) Mr D Scully, Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor (for the Director of Public Prosecutions)