Ford v R [2020] NSWCCA 99

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Ford v R [2020] NSWCCA 99 Hearing dates: 15 November 2019 Date of orders: 22 May 2020 Decision date: 22 May 2020 Before: Brereton JA at [1] Bellew J at [123] Lonergan J at [124] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal; (2) Dismiss the appeal against conviction; (3) Allow the appeal against sentence; (4) Quash the sentence imposed in the District Court at Campbelltown on 13 December 2018 and substitute a non-parole period of two years and nine months commencing from 30 November 2018 and expiring on 29 August 2021, and a total term of imprisonment of four years expiring on 29 November 2022. Catchwords: CRIME — Appeals — Appeal against conviction — Unreasonable verdict – Judge alone – Whether verdict unreasonable or insupportable having regard to evidence – Whether appellant the principal offender – Trial judge ought to have had a reasonable doubt

CRIME — Complicity — Joint criminal enterprise – Appellant's conviction not vitiated due to participation in joint criminal enterprise – Reduction in objective seriousness of offending where appellant is convicted on the basis of joint criminal enterprise rather than being the principal offender

CRIME — Property offences — Break, enter and commit serious indictable offence — Circumstances of special aggravation – Statutory interpretation – Whether intent to wound required to satisfy circumstance of special aggravation where not expressly required by statute at the time of the relevant offence Legislation Cited: (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, s 21A(2) (NSW) Crimes Act 1900, ss 98, 105A, 112(3) (NSW) Crimes Amendment (Reckless Infliction of Harm) Act 2012 (NSW) Crimes Amendment Act 2007 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912, s 6(3) (NSW) Evidence Act 1995, s 38 Cases Cited: Ambury v R [2018] NSWCCA 275 Atai v R [2014] NSWCCA 210 Bell v R [2017] NSWCCA 207 BF v R [2019] NSWCCA 321 Blackwell v The Queen (2011) 81 NSWLR 119; [2011] NSWCCA 93 Boyson v Chief of Army [2019] ADFDAT 2 Dickson v The Queen (2017) 94 NSWLR 476; [2017] NSWCCA 78 Filippou v The Queen (2015) 256 CLR 47; [2015] HCA 29 Fleming v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 250; [1998] HCA 68 FP v The Queen (2012) 224 A Crim R 82; [2012] NSWCCA 182 IL v The Queen (2017) 262 CLR 268; [2017] HCA 27 IW v R [2019] NSWCCA 311 Johns v The Queen (1980) 143 CLR 108; [1980] HCA 3 Libke v The Queen (2007) 230 CLR 559; [2007] HCA 30 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Markou v The Queen (2012) 221 A Crim R 48; [2012] NSWCCA 64 McAuliffe v The Queen (1995) 183 CLR 108; [1995] HCA 37 Miller v The Queen (2016) 259 CLR 380; [2016] HCA 30 Mulholland v R [2019] NSWCCA 257 Ng v R [2019] NSWCCA 172 R v Button; R v Griffen (2002) 54 NSWLR 455; [2002] NSWCCA 159 R v Holden [2014] NSWCCA 230 R v ITA (2003) 139 A Crim R 340; [2003] NSWCCA 174 R v Way (2004) 60 NSWLR 168; [2004] NSWCCA 131 Ryan v The Queen (1967) 121 CLR 205; [1967] HCA 2 Sio v The Queen (2015) 249 A Crim R 533; [2015] NSWCCA 42 Sio v The Queen (2016) 259 CLR 47; [2016] HCA 32 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 Smith v R [2019] NSWCCA 162 Tabbah v R [2019] NSWCCA 324 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lee Ford (Applicant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: I Neil SC (Applicant) D McMahon (Applicant) H Roberts (Respondent)