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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions >> O'Leary v R [2013] EWCA Crim 1371 (31 July 2013) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2013/1371.html Cite as: [2013] EWCA Crim 1371 |
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ON APPEAL FROM
MR RECORDER MICHAEL EGAN QC
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL |
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B e f o r e :
MR JUSTICE NICOL
and
MRS JUSTICE LANG DBE
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PATRICK O'LEARY |
Appellant |
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- and - |
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REGINA |
Respondent |
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Don Rogers (instructed by CPS) for the Respondent
Hearing date: 18 July 2013
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Crown Copyright ©
Lord Justice Pitchford :
Trial
Grounds of appeal against conviction
(1) The Recorder wrongly directed the jury that they could treat the evidence upon all three counts as cross-admissible;
(2) The Recorder wrongly informed the jury that he had ruled that the statement of Mr Knight was inadmissible; and
(3) The Recorder wrongly permitted the prosecution to recall DC Irwin to rebut an allegation made by the defendant in evidence that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service had conspired together to keep the witnesses away from court.
Cross-admissibility
"19. The evidence may provide, for example, strong circumstantial evidence that the offences were committed by the same person, and that the defendant is that person. This point was made clearly by Moses LJ in DM.[1] It follows that when it is submitted that evidence in relation to one count is admissible in relation to another, it may not always be helpful to concentrate on the concept of propensity when the nature of the evidence is such that, in itself, it is capable of being probative in relation to another count, in the sense that it makes it more likely either that the offence was committed (Chopra) [2] or that this defendant committed the offence (Wallace).[3]
20. In some of the judgments since Hanson [4], the impression may have been given that the jury, in its decision making process in cross-admissibility cases should first determine whether it is satisfied on the evidence in relation to one of the counts of the defendant's guilt before it can move on to using the evidence in relation to that count in dealing with any other count in the indictment. A good example is the judgment of this court in S.[5] We consider that this is too restrictive an approach. Whilst the jury must be reminded that it has to reach a verdict on each count separately, it is entitled, in determining guilt in respect of any count, to have regard to the evidence in regard to any other count, or any other bad character evidence if that evidence is admissible and relevant in the way we have described. It may be that in some cases the jury will find it easier to decide the guilt of a defendant on the evidence relating to that count alone. That does not mean that it cannot, in other cases, use the evidence in relation to the other count or counts to help it decide on the defendant's guilt in respect of the count that it is considering. To do otherwise would fail to give proper effect to the decision on admissibility."
Disclosure of ruling in law
"Now, in addition to that, members of the jury, I told you yesterday, by agreement, that on Friday of last week in your absence I concluded, having heard expert medical evidence, that in July 2011, Mr Harry Knight did not have the requisite capacity to make an admissible statement in this case."
Ms Saimbhi submitted that one of the important issues in the trial was whether Mr Knight was suffering from dementia at the time of his encounters with the appellant. The jury had heard expert and other evidence upon that issue. In the absence of the jury the Recorder heard further evidence from Mr Knight's treating psychiatrist, Dr Ali. The effect of informing the jury of his decision was to reveal his own judgment that in July 2011 Mr Knight's state of mental health was such that he "did not have the requisite capacity" to make a witness statement. That must, Ms Saimbhi submitted, have had an important bearing upon the jury's own assessment of the issue of Mr Knight's capacity to make with full understanding the agreement the appellant claimed he did. In effect it withdrew the issue from them; alternatively, the jury was left to apply the Recorder's judgment of "capacity" without hearing the evidence upon which it was based or receiving directions as to the legal issue ("capability") to which the evidence in the voir dire had been addressed.
Evidence in rebuttal
Section 74 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
"You have heard evidence that the defendant, in November 2011…was convicted of committing an offence of attempted burglary involving distracting a ninety two year old woman, in her own home, while attempting to steal from her. Now …an attempted burglary involves an attempt to enter as a trespasser a property with intent to steal. The defendant said to you yesterday that in fact he's innocent of that allegation, and he gave an explanation which you heard; that he was merely trying to help the old lady by giving her something. I direct you as a matter of law that you should reject the evidence of the defendant because his conviction is final proof and for these purposes irrevocable proof that the person so convicted-that's him-committed that offence."
As Nicol J observed in the course of argument, this was a misdirection of law. The fact of the conviction was admitted. The appellant's evidence was to the effect that he was wrongly convicted. His conviction was not irrevocable proof of his guilt. Section 74(3) Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides that in any proceedings in which the fact of commission of an offence by the defendant is admissible, and he is proved to have been convicted of the offence, he shall be taken to have committed that offence unless the contrary is proved. The effect of section 74(3) is that the defendant bears the burden of proving that he did not commit the offence.
Appeal against sentence
"There is a powerful public interest in protecting Mrs Werner and Mr Knight and people who suffer similarly, because society is probably truly judged by how it deals with such people…Moreover, I have had the opportunity to hear you give evidence and to observe you both before and after conviction. I…formed the view, on Wednesday, that you were distinctly lacking in shame and insight into your offending at all…I asked for the Probation Service to speak to you and report back to the court specifically with that concern in mind. Sadly, that report merely confirms my clear view that unusually, for someone who has committed such mean and despicable offences, you genuinely feel no shame or remorse at all."
Note 1 [2008] EWCA Crim 1544 [Back] Note 2 [2006] EWCA Crim 2133 [Back] Note 3 [2007] EWCA Crim 1760 [Back]