Wood v R [2019] NSWCCA 309

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Wood v R [2019] NSWCCA 309 Hearing dates: 18 November 2019 Decision date: 19 December 2019 Before: Hoeben CJ at CL at [1]; Price J at [180]; Campbell J at [186] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal against sentence is granted. (2) The appeal against sentence is allowed. (3) The sentence imposed by Bellew J on 14 December 2018 is quashed. (4) In lieu thereof, the applicant is sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 24 years, commencing 30 September 2017 and expiring 29 September 2041, with a non-parole period of 18 years expiring 29 September 2035. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – sentence appeal – murder – long history of domestic violence – whether sentencing judge properly dealt with subjective issues and those going to objective seriousness of the offending – to what extent should the sentencing judge have taken into account previous convictions as a matter of aggravation – was the fact that offender on conditional liberty at time of offence a matter of aggravation – whether sentencing judge properly took into account the offender's lack of planning – whether sentencing judge properly took into account the offender's disadvantaged background – whether it was open to the sentencing judge to find that the offender's intoxication was a matter of aggravation – whether sentencing judge erred in finding that the offender's offending involved gratuitous cruelty – whether sentence was manifestly excessive – whether "comparative cases" should be taken into account on re-sentence – appeal allowed and offender re-sentenced. Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) – s 20(1)(b) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) – s 18(1)(a) Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW) – s 14(1) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – ss 21A, 59 Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) – s 474.17(1) Cases Cited: Archer v R [2017] NSWCCA 151 Barbaro v The Queen; Zirilli v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 58; [2014] HCA 2 Baumer v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 51; [1988] HCA 67 Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571; [2013] HCA 37 Cherry v R [2017] NSWCCA 150 Director of Public Prosecutions v Dalgliesh (a pseudonym) (2017) 262 CLR 428; [2017] HCA 41 DPP v Darcy-Shillingsworth [2017] NSWCCA 224 Elhassan v R [2018] NSWCCA 118 Hili v The Queen: Jones v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Hilier v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2009] NSWCCA 312 Ingrey v R [2016] NSWCCA 31 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 King v R [2015] NSWCCA 99 Majzoub v Regina [2019] NSWCCA 94 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 McCullough v R [2009] NSWCCA 94; (2009) 194 A Crim R 439 Mendes v R [2012] NSWCCA 103 Moore v R [2019] NSWCCA 264 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Munda v State of Western Australia (2013) 249 CLR 600; [2013] HCA 38 Patsan v R [2018] NSWCCA 129 Pham v R [2014] NSWCCA 115 R v Archer [2015] NSWSC 1487 R v Boyd (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 380 R v Coleman (1990) 47 A Crim R 306 R v Crickitt (No 2) [2017] NSWSC 542 R v Darbanou [2018] NSWSC 1672 R v Gagalowicz [2005] NSWCCA 452 R v Homann [2018] NSWSC 757 R v Hosseiniamraei [2016] NSWSC 1181 R v Irwin [2019] NSWCCA 133 R v Kilic (2016) 259 CLR 256; [2016] HCA 48 R v Mahon [2015] NSWSC 25 R v McNaughton (2006) NSWLR 566; [2006] NSWCCA 242 R v Murray [2015] NSWSC 1034 R v Ruttley (No 7) [2017] NSWSC 1582 R v Sjahadi [2013] NSWSC 540 Regina v Walker [2005] NSWCCA 109 Smith v R [2011] NSWCCA 163 Stanford v Regina [2007] NSWCCA 73 TL v R [2017] NSWCCA 308 Turnbull v R [2019] NSWCCA 97 Vandeventer v R [2013] NSWCCA 33 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Weininger v The Queen (2003) 212 CLR 629; [2003] HCA 14 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Russell Brian Wood – Applicant Regina – Respondent Crown Representation: Counsel: H Dhanji SC/Mr A Wong – Applicant B Baker – Respondent Crown