R v Warwick (No.93) [2020] NSWSC 926

R v Warwick (No.93) [2020] NSWSC 926

The accused, Leonard John Warwick, was found guilty of multiple counts of murder, causing grievous bodily harm by explosive, and related offences, arising out of a course of conduct targeting individuals associated with ongoing Family Court proceedings and a local religious community. The core basis for conviction was that the Crown, relying on extensive circumstantial evidence, forensic (including DNA) evidence, and tendency and coincidence reasoning, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was responsible for these violent acts and excluded all reasonable hypotheses consistent with innocence. The sole exception was the murder of Stephen Blanchard, in respect of which the Court...

Parties
Prosecution: The Crown; Accused: Leonard John Warwick
Jurisdiction
Australia
Judgment Date
23 July 2020
Procedural Posture
Criminal Trial by Judge Alone / Final Judgment and Return of Verdicts
Outcome
The accused is found guilty of all counts except Count 1 (murder of Stephen Blanchard), which returns a verdict of not guilty.
Legal Topics
Murder, Explosives Offences, Grievous Bodily Harm, Circumstantial Evidence, Tendency and Coincidence Reasoning, Family Court Violence
Criminal Law Murder Explosives Offences Grievous Bodily Harm Circumstantial Evidence Tendency and Coincidence Reasoning Family Court Violence

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Parties

The Crown

Prosecution

Leonard John Warwick

Accused

Procedural Posture

Criminal Trial by Judge Alone / Final Judgment and Return of Verdicts

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the accused, Leonard John Warwick, was responsible for a series of murders, bombings, and grievous bodily harm offences occurring between 1980 and 1985, targeting individuals connected to Family Court proceedings and others; Whether the Crown excluded all reasonable hypotheses consistent with innocence in a circumstantial evidence case; Whether evidence of tendency and coincidence was admissible and probative; Whether alternative suspects (Dr Mariti, Mr Abroo, FLAG) were credible hypotheses consistent with innocence; Admissibility and weight of expert forensic and DNA evidence

Ratio Decidendi

The accused, Leonard John Warwick, was found guilty of multiple counts of murder, causing grievous bodily harm by explosive, and related offences, arising out of a course of conduct targeting individuals associated with ongoing Family Court proceedings and a local religious community. The core basis for conviction was that the Crown, relying on extensive circumstantial evidence, forensic (including DNA) evidence, and tendency and coincidence reasoning, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was responsible for these violent acts and excluded all reasonable hypotheses consistent with innocence. The sole exception was the murder of Stephen Blanchard, in respect of which the Court...

Court Disposition

The accused is found guilty of all counts except Count 1 (murder of Stephen Blanchard), which returns a verdict of not guilty.

Orders

  • The accused is convicted of the offences of murder, causing grievous bodily harm by explosion, maliciously damaging buildings by explosive and related offences in accordance with the indictment, except for Count 1 (not guilty) and alternative counts where verdicts were not entered.