18 Mar 2011
Magistrate's assessment of credibility was reasonable and supported by the facts (appellant seen retrieving a bag from a rubbish bin); the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant was in possession of the cocaine; therefore conviction was properly sustained and the appeal fails.
31 Mar 2003
Leave to appeal dismissed because the trial judge was entitled to accept the prosecution witnesses and reject the defence; the judge's findings were open on the evidence, there was no demonstrated planting of evidence, no reversal of burden, and no manifest error warranting appellate interference.
1 May 1996
The Court found that omission of a cautionary direction limiting use of previous convictions and the judge's problematic direction on police information together risked confusing or prejudicing the jury on key credibility and evidential issues, rendering the conviction unsafe; accordingly the appeal was allowed and the conviction quashed.
2 May 1995
Leave to appeal was refused because the contested factual questions (including whether drugs were planted and credibility of police) were matters for the jury who had heard the evidence, and the allegations of forged signatures or fabricated statements were unsubstantiated and 'fanciful' so did not undermine the jury's verdict on the street‑search trafficking count.
17 Nov 1993
The Court allowed the appeal and quashed the convictions because the trial judge failed to exercise his discretion on a proper basis: he did not adequately weigh the enormous prejudicial effect of admitting an old juvenile drug conviction (and failed to consider limiting admission to other convictions or to distinguish between the two counts), thereby risking denial of a fair trial; the convictions were unsafe and a retrial was ordered.
25 Jul 1990
The trial judge's rejection of the appellant's evidence was open on the record; even accepting some possibility of planting, the appellant failed to prove he did not possess the drugs and there was no basis for the appellate court to overturn the conviction.
28 May 1987
The appeal was allowed and the conviction and sentence quashed because the magistrate's reasoning was flawed and may have improperly prejudiced the appellant's credibility by linking the observed street transaction to the packet found on him in a circular manner, rendering the conviction unsafe.