RC v R; R v RC [2020] NSWCCA 76

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: RC v R; R v RC [2020] NSWCCA 76 Hearing dates: 23 March 2020 Date of orders: 22 April 2020 Decision date: 22 April 2020 Before: R A Hulme J at [1] Hamill J at [4] Wilson J at [8] Decision: (1) Leave to appeal against conviction granted. (2) Appeal against conviction dismissed. (3) Crown appeal against inadequacy of sentence dismissed. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – appeal against conviction – child sexual assault offences - appellant convicted of one count and acquitted of two counts – whether verdicts inconsistent – whether Markuleski direction should have been given in conjunction with a Black direction – whether conviction unreasonable and not supported by the evidence

CRIMINAL LAW – sentence appeal – sexual intercourse with child under 10 years - Crown appeal against asserted inadequacy of sentence – community based sentence imposed – importance of statutory guideposts – principles to be applied in sentencing for a s 66A Crimes Act offence – non-custodial sentence manifestly inadequate – question of re-sentence – discretion not to intervene – relevance of respondent's advanced age and respiratory ill-health – COVID-19 pandemic – discretion exercised Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW). Evidence Act 1995 (NSW). Cases Cited: Black v The Queen (1993) 179 CLR 44; [1993] HCA 71 EG v R [2015] NSWCCA 21 Green v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462; [2011] HCA 49 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Khamis v R; Hussain v R [2018] NSWCCA 131 MFA v The Queen (2002) 213 CLR 606; [2002] HCA 53 Mackenzie v R (1996) 190 CLR 348; [1996] HCA 35 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Mulato v R [2006] NSWCCA 282 Pell v The Queen [2020] HCA 12 Roos v R [2019] NSWCCA 67A R v Dinsdale (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 R v Dunn (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 15 April 1992, unrep) R v JJ [2019] NSWCCA 148 R v Markuleski (2001) 52 NSWLR 82; [2001] NSWCCA 290 R v ND [2016] NSWCCA 103 R v Qi [2019] NSWCCA 73 R v Toohey [2019] NSWCCA 182 R v Stone (Court of Criminal Appeal (UK), 13 December 1954, unrep) PK v R [2012] NSWCCA 263 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Trevor Essex v R [2013] NSWCCA 11 Category: Principal judgment Parties: RC (Appellant on conviction appeal; respondent to sentence appeal) Regina (Respondent to conviction appeal; appellant in sentence appeal) Representation: Counsel: J Pappas (Appellant in conviction appeal; respondent to sentence appeal) H Roberts (Respondent to conviction appeal; appellant in sentence appeal) Solicitors: P Woodhouse (Appellant on conviction appeal; respondent to sentence appeal) Solicitor for Public Prosecutions (Respondent to conviction appeal; appellant in sentence appeal) File Number(s): 2017/0320033 Publication restriction: None. Decision under appeal Court or tribunal: District Court of New South Wales Jurisdiction: Criminal Date of Decision: 29 July 2019 and 27 September 2019 Before: Smith SC DCJ File Number(s): 2017/0320033