Posts Categorized: NSW Courts

Jury Reinstated in Murder Trial, After Judge Dismissed All Due to Actions of One Juror

Supreme Court

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim The trial into whether Paul Anthony Watson murdered William Chaplin sometime between 31 March and 30 May 2010 in the southwestern NSW town of Gerogery commenced on 5 September this year in the NSW Supreme Court, with three weeks set aside for it. The Crown had closed its case… Read more »

Inmate Released on Appeal, After Trial Judge Misapplied Mental Illness Defence

Mental health defence

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim On 22 September 2017, Nick Masters veered onto the wrong side of Port Macquarie’s Hastings River Drive, and collided head on with a car being driven by a Mr Ashenden, who was killed, whilst his wife, Mrs Ashenden was seriously injured. NSW District Court Judge Mark Marien found Masters… Read more »

Probative Value is of Primary Importance When Determining Admissibility of Tendency Evidence

High Court of Australia

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim A five justice bench of the High Court of Australia determined on 19 October that a NSW Supreme Court trial that saw the jury find a Coffs Harbour man guilty of the murder of his two-and-a-half-year-old stepdaughter that heavily relied on tendency evidence was correct in doing so. The young girl… Read more »

Sentence Reduced as Judge Failed to Consider Impact of COVID in Prison

COVID in Prison

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim NSW police commenced an investigation in June 2017, which led to detectives identifying eight men involved in a drug manufacturing operation producing MDA (3, 4-methylenedioxyamphetamine), a substance usually sold as MDMA on the street but can differ in effect. The joint criminal enterprise involved three properties belonging to one of… Read more »

Judicial Independence is More Important Than Ever

Judicial Independence

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim “Most Australians assume that an Australian judge would not hesitate to find against the government or a government agency if the law requires that result,” said High Court Justice Jacqueline Gleeson, in a recent speech on judicial independence in liberal democracies. Appointed to the highest court in March last year, Gleeson,… Read more »

NSW Supreme Court Explains Local Court’s 5 Year Limit on Consecutive Prison Sentences

Downing Centre Court

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim On 22 September 2019, Cody Perrin was arrested on charges of assault and intentionally or recklessly damaging or destroying property in relation to a domestic situation where an apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) was in place for the protection of his partner. On 14 January 2020, he was refused… Read more »