Whilst Mr Pennicuik pleaded not guilty, he elected not to cross examine the only prosecution witness, although I allowed him to do so when he conferred with his support team during an adjournment after the close of the prosecution case, and that prosecution witness, Mr Perkins, was recalled and a question was put to Mr Perkins. That was the extent of Mr Pennicuik's defence.
He has elected, as he is able to, not give evidence. I make no criticism, but what I am left with is a compelling, I have to say, quite a simple case brought by the City of Gosnells and on the evidence which is uncontradicted of Mr Perkins quite clearly Mr Pennicuik obstructed the city and that obstruction lasted for not simply the number of days alleged in the prosecution notice. It went on for a lot longer but the prosecution case is limited to the number of days, as I said, referred to in the prosecution notice.
What I find in the absence of Mr Pennicuik putting forward any defence is that I find the prosecution case has been proved to that high standard of beyond reasonable doubt. I need to acknowledge and make reference to written submissions put in by Mr Pennicuik; firstly, two sets of submissions filed with the court some time in the middle of yesterday afternoon, and secondly, some submissions handed in to the court by Mr Pennicuik this morning.
The submissions he filed, or someone filed for him yesterday afternoon, I have addressed already in my opening reasons at the start of this case this morning. With respect to his written submissions that he files this morning, it appears that the main thrust of what his defence might have been had he been prepared to articulate that in the courtroom this morning is not his repeated almost parrot fashion reference to paragraph 12 and that's the reference to the McKenzie friend, but to an earlier point that would have been of some relevance had he decided to give evidence, and that is the location of the tree. I endeavoured to assist him with a question I put myself to Mr Perkins as to the location of the tree and that unequivocal answer from Mr Perkins is that the tree is not, as might be suggested by Mr Pennicuik, located in Mr Pennicuik's private property, or on his certificate of title, but is on the road verge and that is the evidence that I rely on with no evidence to the contrary, and accordingly which is why I have no difficulty in finding the prosecution case has been proved and to that standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. I now record a conviction.