R v Bittner; R v Martinez

[2020] NSWDC 292

District Court of NSW|2020-01-24

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At a glance

Source facts

Court

District Court of NSW

Decision date

2020-01-24

Catchwords

Quinn v R (2011) 244 CLR 462 Hill v the Queen

Source

Original judgment source is linked above.

Catchwords

Quinn v R (2011) 244 CLR 462 Hill v the Queen

Judgment (43 paragraphs)

[1]

Judgment Alex Bittner

The offender, Alex James Bittner, born in September 1960, is before the court for sentence for possess prohibited drug contrary to s 10(1) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 2 years, and attempt to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported drug contrary to ss 307.5(1) and 11.1(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth), which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. There are no non-parole periods for these offences.
The offender also has a charge to be dealt with on a section 16BA Schedule attaching to the Commonwealth offence, namely deal with money reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime, contrary to s 400.9(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth), and he asks me to take that into account when imposing sentence.
The agreed facts are as follows: 1. Daniel Gerado Martinez aided and abetted Daniel Martellotta and Alex Bittner in their attempt to possess 4.34 kg of a border controlled drug (cocaine), illegally imported from Peru into Australia. 2. On 3 December 2018, a consignment arrived in Sydney from Lima, Peru. The goods were described in Spanish as '4 Cajas de artesania caramicea' (translation: 4 ceramic craft boxes). 3. The delivery address was the business premises of Simco Catering Equipment ("Simco"). Both Martinez and Martellotta were employees of Simco at this time. 4. On 3 December 2018, Australian Border Force (ABF) officials inspected the consignment and found that it consisted of four large wooden and cardboard crates approximately 70cm3 in size, each containing a variety of plaster and wooden ornaments wrapped in bubble wrap. Concealed behind a mirror on one of the ornaments was a silver foil package containing approximately 30 g of cocaine. 5. On 11 December 2018, investigators with NSW Police extracted a total of 163 round tablets of pressed cocaine powder from the consignment, hidden behind mirrors in various shaped ornaments. 6. Forensic examination of the pressed powder tablets revealed the following: 1. The total gross weight of the 163 compressed powder tablets was 4903.7 grams; 2. Forensic analysis revealed that the powder contained cocaine with an average purity of 88.5%; and 3. The calculated total pure weight of the cocaine was 4339.8 grams. 1. The current street value of this cocaine seizure is estimated to be between $925,000 and $1,400,000 Australian dollars. Conduct of the offenders prior to their attempted possession of the cocaine 1. On 3 December, 2018, Martellotta called DHL Express Couriers from a mobile ending in 138 to enquire about the status of the consignment. Martellotta made further calls to DHL from his mobile on 6 and 10 December 2018. Martellotta was advised that his item was being held by ABF for processing. 2. On 20 December 2018, Martellotta made a further call to DHL. He stated that he had not received his consignment and enquired as to why the status had been changed to 'delivered'. He was advised that DHL would investigate and call him back. Controlled Operation 1. On 31 December 2018, a Controlled Operation Authority was issued to facilitate the delivery of the consignment by members of the NSW Police. 2. At 11am the consignment was delivered outside the front doors of the Simco premises in Blacktown. The consignment was left on the ground, visible from the road. All of the cocaine had been removed from the consignment, leaving only drug packaging and broken ornaments. At 11:25am, Martellotta received an SMS on his mobile, purporting to be from DHL, stating that his package had been delivered. 3. Just before 1:30pm, police intercepted Martellotta making unanswered calls to Martinez and Bittner. Martellotta said that he had left a message for Bittner that everything was dropped off in front of the door at Simco. Martellotta asked Martinez to call Bittner and tell him that the consignment was dropped off at midday and that Bittner had to go and look. At 4:02pm, Martinez and Martellotta had a further conversation where they both confirm they have spoken to Bittner. When Martellotta states that he just got off the phone to Bittner, Martinez asked "did he find the sweet bread you left for him?" (Sweet bread is a code word for cocaine). Martellotta responded "he's just going now to have a look." Collection of the Consignment 1. At 4:38pm on 31 December 2018, a white Range Rover owned by Bittner, drove along Forge Street, Blacktown and stopped directly outside the Simco premises where the consignment had been delivered. The vehicle stopped for approximately 10 seconds and then drove away from the location. 2. At 6:00pm, a white Toyota Hilux drove along Forge Street and stopped directly outside the Simco premises. An unknown male, seen earlier with Bittner at Bunnings, exited the Hilux along with a second unknown male. The two males began loading the four crates of the consignment into the rear of the utility. As this occurred, a black Mazda belonging to Luis Fernando Diez was seen to park several hundred metres south of the Simco premises. Bittner exited from this vehicle, walked over to the two men and proceeded to help them load the consignment into the Hilux. When the consignment was loaded, the two vehicles travelled away from the location. 3. On 4 January 2019 Bittner contacted unknown persons in Peru to inform them the consignment had been interfered with and the cocaine removed. He reiterated in the call that he was not responsible for the missing cocaine, despite what it looked like. 4. At 11:36am on 8 January 2019, Police intercepted a conversation between Bittner and Martinez. Bittner told Martinez how he had opened the boxes to discover everything broken and that he had called his mate urgently, who advised for him to wait and open the remaining boxes on camera. Bittner said he brought Diez in for this part. Bittner reinforced that they would find the person responsible and that he wanted revenge "…his mother won't even recognise him". Martinez ended the conversation saying: "All the sacrifices we made...FUCKU! Fuck me dead! " 5. When the police sent Martellotta a picture message of the cocaine from an unknown number on 8 January 2019, Martinez advised Martellotta not to respond, telling him to "act stupid". He notified Bittner about the message at Martellotta's request. Bittner and Martinez subsequently spoke and Bittner asked Martinez to tell Martellotta not to respond to the picture message, saying that he (Bittner) would take care of things and "send some people over there". Arrests and Execution of Search Warrants 1. At about 1pm on 8 January 2019, Bittner was arrested by police in the gaming room of a club at Bossley Park. He admitted to having a small amount of cocaine in his pocket. At 1:09pm Martinez was arrested outside his home address. At about 1:10pm, Martellotta was arrested by Police at Woongarrah. At 1:30pm Diez was arrested in the car park of a shopping centre. 2. Search warrants were executed at the residences of the 4 co-accused. 3. The following items were seized from Bittner's home at Bossley Park: 1. The four wooden crates used to contain the consignment; 2. Consignment paperwork; 3. Drug packaging and broken ornaments from the consignment; 4. $203,350 in Australia currency, concealed behind a kickboard in the kitchen; 5. $11,100 in US currency, concealed behind a kickboard in the kitchen; 6. Small packages of white powder behind a kickboard in the kitchen; and 7. Financial records pertaining to the cash seized. Records of Interview 1. At about 3:18pm on 8 January 2019, Martinez participated in an ROI with police. He initially denied any knowledge of the cocaine importation and denied having any discussions with Martellotta or Bittner about it. After police showed Martinez evidence of conversations they had intercepted between Martinez, Martellotta and Bittner, Martinez made the following admissions: 1. Martellotta told him in around mid-December that he (Martellotta) had agreed to help Bittner with an illegal importation of drugs; 2. He was told the drugs were cocaine, although he denied knowing that the amount would be 5kg; 3. He knew the delivery was being made to his and Martellotta's place of work; 4. He knew that the delivery went wrong; and 5. He accepted having conversations with Martellotta and Bittner about the botched delivery and how to handle it. 1. At about 3:43pm on 8 January 2019, Martellotta participated in an ROI with police, when he accepted his involvement in the importation of the consignment, but denied having any knowledge that the consignment would contain cocaine. He told police he believed he may have been set up by the others involved. 2. Both Bittner and Diez declined to be interviewed.

[4]

Exhibit 2

Mr Ballardie interviewed and psychometrically assessed Mr Bittner and diagnosed him with a Major Depressive Disorder, a Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a Drug Use Disorder. He believes, on the balance of probabilities, that there was a causal connection between external stressors, an exacerbation of his mental conditions, increased substance use and his offending. The offender took responsibility for his actions.
Mr Bittner was born in Uruguay and immigrated to Australia with his family when he was 15 years old. He has one sister and one brother who died in 1998. He said that losing his brother to suicide was very overwhelming at the time. Mr Bittner's mother died 9 years ago, and he is now close to his father. His parents often fought when he was growing up and separated when he was about 20 years of age. His family experienced financial difficulty and lost their house. His father was short-tempered and aggressive, and would often hit him and his brother. The offender commented that now that he was older, he had forgiven his father for the way he negatively treated him growing up. The offender also stated that he was sexually assaulted as a child by a stranger and was very traumatised by this event. He stated that he often has invasive memories of this assault.
Mr Bittner was married at 21 years of age and stayed married for about 30 years. The couple separated about 7 years ago. He had two children from this marriage, but his son committed suicide two years ago, in February 2018. His daughter was very traumatised after finding her brother hanging in a tree. The offender stated that on release he wanted to concentrate on supporting his daughter and her two children, as he felt he had let her down. After his son's suicide, he started frequently going out gambling and drinking, both to excess.
As part of the assessment, the offender's sister was interviewed. She confirmed what the offender said about his parents and brother. She said that the offender was very close to his mother, and that when she was dying, he was at her bedside every day. She stated that she believes the offender is genuinely remorseful for the offending.
The offender left high school after year 10 and began working in a factory. He has worked mostly as a labourer for the past 30 years. He has never undertaken any formal qualifications, as he has poor literacy and difficulties focusing. The offender stated that he intended to return to the construction industry on his release from incarceration.
The offender said that he started consuming alcohol after he separated from his wife about 7 years ago. He initially drank a small amount, once every few weeks. After his son suicided, his consumption escalated to drinking to excess about three times a week. He first tried cocaine about four years ago. After his son died, his consumption escalated and he often consumed it at home by himself. He stated that it helped him to forget his problems and made him feel less depressed. He has not consumed any cocaine since the offending.
Mr Ballardie diagnosed the offender with Depression, Anxiety, negative and persisting thoughts, low self-esteem, Drug Use Disorder and ADHD. Mr Bittner said that he saw his general practitioner after his son suicided and was given antidepressants, which he took for 5 months. However, he stated that they made him feel more depressed and he has not taken any psychotropic medication since that date. He has attended a drug and alcohol course whilst incarcerated.
When discussing the circumstances of the offence, the offender stated that it was a very negative time in his life and he felt that he was in a downward spiral. He had lost his son to suicide, started drinking and taking cocaine to excess, gambled often, had borrowed money from a friend which he had gambled away and was experiencing lower back problems. He met someone who offered him money to pick up the cocaine, which he agreed to do. He stated that he had sold drugs in order to feed his drug addiction and gambling problems. When asked about his offending behaviour, Mr Bittner said "it was the biggest mistake of my life… I should have just said no to picking up the drugs. I really messed up… I just wish now I could be there more for my daughter." I am of the view that Mr Bittner's comments and attitudes are consistent with someone who has taken responsibility for his actions. Mr Ballardie accessed the offender at a low risk of reoffending. He also considers that the offender would suffer prison hardship over and above the ordinary hardship experienced by inmates due to his psychiatric conditions.

[7]

Objective Seriousness

The Crown submits that the offender had a senior, managerial role in the criminal syndicate importing cocaine. This can be inferred, it is said, from the responsibilities and discretion the offender held in performing various critical roles including: 1. Recruiting co-offenders into the operation to take delivery of the consignment; 2. Organising and directing their actions; 3. Overseeing the collection and removal of the consignment when it was unexpectedly delivered when the co-offender Martellota was away; 4. Taking ultimate receipt of the consignment at his residential premises; 5. Deconstructing the consignment for removal of the cocaine; and 6. Acting as the point of contact with the Peruvian end of the operation with regard to the receipt of the consignment and the issues with it.
It was submitted by Ms Goodwin that in this case the delivery of the importation was not particularly sophisticated involving a lesser quantity of drugs, the consignment being addressed to the business address of one of the co-offenders, and the consignment being delivered by a commercial delivery company. The role played by the offender was not sophisticated and whilst addressing me today, she used the word, "storeman", or, "warehouse person". I note that these are not terms of art. Having been recruited to pick-up the consignment, he hired a car in his own name using his own driver's license and credit card in order to do so, and then took the consignment to his own home address. It was submitted that the offender's role, albeit pro-active, was towards the lower end of the hierarchy and although it involved some meaningful involvement, he was acting largely at the direction of others.
The offending took place for greed. It was not very sophisticated. I find that the offender's role was the point of contact in Australia for the Peruvian exporters. His role must be considered as something more than a mere warehouseman although it is impossible, in my opinion, to define his role with any certainty. He did have the involvement as set out by the Crown, but it was a largely unsophisticated operation and in my opinion, the offending, taking into account the maximum penalty, sits at somewhere just below the medium range of objective seriousness. In my opinion, his role was greater than Martellotta and certainly than Martinez.

[13]

Personal circumstances of accused 16A(2)(m)

The Crown submits that although for all intents and purposes the offender has no prior criminal history, this has less significance in drug importation offences as prior good character is something that can facilitate or assist an offender in carrying out this type of serious offending. This is because such persons are not known to authorities, and they are not subject to scrutiny when they bring drugs into the country.
Although it often is the case that the lack of a criminal record may have less significance for a drug trafficking offence than for some other fields of crime (R v Leroy (1984) 2 NSWLR 441), it is submitted by the offender that his very limited criminal record (at 59 years of age) would justify mitigation of his sentence. It is submitted that the reason good character is often attributed less weight in importation offences is because often those selected to play some part in the chain of drug trafficking are selected because their records and their past and their lifestyles are not such as to attract suspicion. Ms Goodwin submitted that this is not the case in the instant matter - the relative absence of criminal record played no role in the offender's involvement in the offences.
It was submitted by Ms Goodwin, that the offender's childhood, involving financial deprivation, domestic and sexual violence would mitigate his culpability and moderate some of the weight that otherwise may be attributed to deterrence in favour of other purposes of sentencing including rehabilitation.
It was further submitted that the court would find it likely that untreated ADHD, anxiety and depression played a significant role in his offending conduct (given the circumstances of the offending conduct and that the offender's mental health issues negatively impacted on his capacity to exercise sound judgment). I would add to that his literacy issues and his need for sexual assault counselling. This is relevant to the following: 1. It could reduce his moral culpability (and consequently the need to denounce the crime); 2. It renders him a less appropriate vehicle for general deterrence resulting in a reduction in the sentence which would otherwise have been imposed; 3. It means that a custodial sentence would weigh more heavily him; and 4. It may reduce the significance of specific deterrence.
In my opinion, the offender's disadvantage in the past goes to somewhat diminishing his moral culpability and I note the oft quoted passage in R v Millwood [2012] NSWCCA 2 by Simpson J which is well known, and which I will not repeat here. His disadvantage does not, however, exculpate him.

[20]

Commonwealth sentencing provisions

In sentencing an offender, the court is required to have regard to the matters set out in Part 1B of the Crimes Act 1914 which provides procedural guidance on sentencing offenders who commit Commonwealth offences. In particular, the court must have regard to the matters set out in Section 16A. Part 1B is not intended to cover the field and Part 1B is not intended to operate as a code.
Pursuant to section 16A(1) of the Crimes Act, any sentence that I impose must be of a severity appropriate in all circumstances. In doing so, I have had regard to all the matters referred to above, including those contained in section 16A(2) of that Act as are relevant and known to court. I have also been guided by the approach of McHugh J in Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25 at [51] and have had regard to the general principles identified by the High Court in Power v R [1974] HCA 26.
In Hill v the Queen; Jones v the Queen [2010] HCA 45, the High Court made clear that a sentencing judge should, in Commonwealth matters, determine the minimum term to be served in accordance with Part 1B of the Crimes Act, together with the application of principles identified in Power v The Queen (1974) 131 CLR 623.
Where the sentence of imprisonment imposed is more than 3 years, the Court must fix a single non-parole period s19AB. In this instance, a sentence of imprisonment with a fixed non-parole period would be appropriate.
Having regard to section 17A(1) of the Crimes Act, and after having considered all other available sentences, I am satisfied that no penalty other than imprisonment is appropriate in all of the circumstances of this case.
In determining an appropriate sentence, I have kept in mind the legislative guidepost of the maximum penalty, which is life imprisonment, and the fact that there is no standard non-parole period for this offence.
After applying a 25% discount for your plea of guilty and taking into account the matter on the Schedule, I impose a head sentence of 6 years, 9 months. Without the 25% discount, I would have imposed a sentence of 9 years. The sentence is backdated to commence on 8 January 2019, the date on which you were taken into custody. I impose a non-parole period of 4 years. The non-parole period expires on 7 January 2023. The head sentence expires on 7 October 2025.

[21]

NSW sentencing provisions

I have taken into account the various purposes of sentencing under s3A of the Sentencing Act. They include ensuring an offender is punished for his or her conduct, deterring crime, protecting the community, promoting an offender's rehabilitation, making an offender accountable for his or her actions, denouncing an offender's conduct and recognising the harm done to victims of an offence in the community. As always, the facts and circumstances of the present offence and this offender highlight how the various purposes of sentencing pull in competing directions - especially given in my opinion the offender's need for psychiatric review and ongoing rehabilitation, the former of which weighs heavily upon me in this sentencing exercise for this offence.
As the High Court said of s3A in Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120 at [20]: The purposes there stated (in s3A) are the familiar, overlapping and, at times, conflicting, purposes of criminal punishment under the common law (Veen v The Queen (No 2) at [476-477]). There is no attempt to rank them in order of priority and nothing in the Sentencing Act to indicate that the court is to depart from the principles explained in Veen v The Queen (No 2) [at 476] in applying them.
The instinctive process of sentencing requires consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances as they are known to the court, including the facts surrounding the commission of each offence, matters affecting relative seriousness, the offender's subjective circumstances and other aspects which bear upon the question of sentence, including the guideposts of the maximum penalty and the standard non-parole period and the factors referred to in s21A of the Sentencing Act. The sentencing court is required to identify the factors relevant to the sentencing discretion and then to make a value judgment as to the appropriate sentence in all the circumstances (Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25).
In determining an appropriate sentence I have kept in mind the maximum penalty of 2 years and I note your plea of guilty. In my opinion, the section 5 threshold has not been crossed, and I am not satisfied, having considered all possible alternatives, that no penalty other than imprisonment is appropriate. In my opinion, your moral culpability for the particular offence was diminished so that an order under s10A of the Sentencing Act is appropriate.

[27]

Exhibit 2

Ms Godbee interviewed the offender via Audio Visual Link (AVL) for approximately 1.5 hours. Mr Martinez presented as polite and attentive. The offender was born in Uruguay and migrated to Sydney with his family when he was 8 years old. His parents have always had a positive relationship. When the offender was 16 years old, his father suffered a heart attack and was unable to work. Mr Martinez left school to support his family. His father currently has both Parkinson's Disease and dementia. At the time of the offence, Mr Martinez worked in sales. He told Ms Godbee that he has several offers to return to similar work upon release.
The offender was diagnosed with Type II diabetes 15 years ago. Shortly after he entered prison, a combination of Diabetes and high blood pressure led to ruptured vessels in both eyes, which required surgery to repair. He continues to experience vision problems. He is currently monitoring his sugar levels, taking medication for diabetes and blood pressure and attempting to manage his sugar intake. The offender was diagnosed with a mild scoliosis approximately 12 years ago, and indicated his back was causing him pain. He also stated he was in a series of accidents in his teens, and fractured his ribs after being hit by a car. He denied any history of head injuries or neurological concerns.
Mr Martinez first consumed alcohol at age 17 and estimated he has been intoxicated on less than 5 occasions in his life. He tried ecstasy, methamphetamine (speed) and cocaine in his 30s. He denied any regular use of substances other than cigarettes. The offender got married at age 21 and had two children, but the relationship was "never good" and his wife had mental health difficulties, eventually leading to their separation. He indicated that he raised his children alone, with the help of his parents. He continues to have a close relationship with both of his children. He remarried and has a 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter with his new wife.
The offender stated that he pleaded guilty because he had "turned a blind eye" to their (the co-offenders) illegal behaviour and that he was "naïve" and gave in to "peer pressure." He also stated that he did not want his friends to get arrested. When asked how he would avoid future offending of this nature, he stated that he would contact the police if he had any concerns that people he knew were importing drugs.
Ms Godbee is of the opinion that Mr Martinez presented as somewhat grandiose, viewing himself very positively. She hypothesised that his grandiosity contributed to his offending in the sense that being liked by others and being in control of his business are very important to his self-identity.
Mr Beydoun worked professionally with the offender for approximately 10 years. He stated that the offender has a strong work ethic and is dedicated to his family and children. Mr Tolomeo stated that the offender is a wholesome family man and is highly regarded in his community. He stated that Mr Martinez conducts his business with thoughtfulness and integrity. He said that the offending was out of character and that the offender has deep remorse and that his family has suffered extraordinary loss and sufferance. Finally, he stated that the offender will have much support from his family and friends to help him integrate back into the community. Mr Delgado stated that these charges are not in alignment with the offender's character. He is well-liked by all and a bad word is never spoken about him. Mr Garcia stated that the offender is very remorseful, scared and extremely concerned about the wellbeing of his family. He understands the gravity of his mistakes and has never blamed anyone but himself. Mr Gustavo Martinez, the brother of the offender, stated that prior to his arrest, the offender had never broken the law and was of good character. He stated that the offender regrets his decision and that you can "see the sadness in his eyes and the toll that this experience has taken on him." Mr Ayyash stated that he would be willing to employ the offender once he has been released.

[29]

Offenders' Evidence

On 24 January 2020 the offender gave evidence before me. He stated that he had nothing to do with arranging for the consignment to be delivered to the Simco premises, and that he was never asked for, nor gave permission for the delivery. He did not know the quantity or value of the drugs, he had no personal interest and never exercised any physical control over the drugs. The offender stated that he was offered $1,000 to assist, but that he did not want nor need it, and he never received that money.
I was referred today by Mr McCallum to some responses that the offender gave in evidence before me which were not really challenged, one being that it was not his intention to be involved. He said he was responsible for his actions but: "I was fearing that it was going to effect, if this parcel was intercepted, that it would bring my workplace and it would take the company that I'd worked for and I thought, I thought I was going to be in trouble but my actions were terrible the day and I take responsibility".
As to whether or not he was going to take the money, he said he was not. When put to him that $1,000 was something that was not very much, or little pay off for something so serious, he said he was not offered a big payoff. He said: "I didn't want a big payoff, I didn't want to bring these drugs into the country. It was not my intention. I made a bad choice and the reason I made this choice at the time was I didn't know how to act. Do I call the authorities, get my friends in trouble? They've got families too. The workplace will be tainted, or do I just turn a blind eye and, you know, just let this happen, you know, this is, I just didn't know how to think, but my reasons were not making money. I had a great job, I was doing well, I was on a good wage."
In my opinion, the offender gave evidence candidly and credibly and I accept those explanations on the balance of probabilities. The offender also admitted to all the communications in the agreed facts between himself and his co-offenders.
The offender recounted the hardship that the offending has caused his family, who have lost their house as they could not pay for the mortgage with him in gaol. They now live in rented accommodation. Mr Martinez stated that "I feel terrible. I feel embarrassed, I feel ashamed. I've caused a massive trauma to my wife and kids. Losing the family home and being tainted with this charge". He stated that he feels very badly for his children and that when they visit him, all he can see is their suffering. They have had to go to counselling because of all the anxiety he has caused. His father is 85 and his mother is 81. His father is in ill health as he suffers from Parkinson's and dementia. The offender is worried that his father will die while he is in gaol. He and one of his brothers used to share responsibility for taking care of his father, but now his brother does it alone. The offender stated that he wishes he could be there for his father, and is sad about the time he has lost with him. The offender stated that when he first came to custody, his blood pressure was so high that vessels burst in the back of his eyes and he started to go blind. He was in hospital for 21 days and has lost part of his vision.
Mr Martinez currently works as head sweeper in gaol and is a trusted prisoner. He stated that when he is released he will go back to sales and will never take anything for granted. He has gained an understanding of the impact of drugs and what they can do to families. He sees people with drug addictions every day in gaol and says that those people have no life. When asked how he feels about his involvement, the offender stated "I feel embarrassed, ashamed, I feel terrible. I've lost so much and I'm still losing so much, and I feel bad because I've done wrong by the community." The offender stated that it wasn't his intention to get involved, but that he put his hand up and is responsible for his actions. He was worried if the parcel was intercepted it would bring down his workplace and his company.
In cross-examination, the offender conceded that he was more involved than simply "turning a blind eye." He admitted to actively passing on messages, and continuing to communicate even after the consignment was delivered. He stated that he originally denied all knowledge to the police, as he was in "total shock" when he was arrested, but after they showed him videos of all the evidence they had, he told them everything he knew. He admitted that he could have notified the authorities at any point. When he first was told about the offence by Mr Martellotta, he stated that he tried to convince him not to go through with it.
As I have said, I found that the offender was a witness who gave his evidence in an honest way before me, to the extent that it is possible to make such a determination on the basis of demeanour. He was candid in particular to questions in cross-examination which is to his credit.

[32]

Motivation

The Crown submits that the "common sense" inference is that the offender was involved for profit and that the objective seriousness of the offence is greater when committed for financial reward. I find that financial reward is not proved beyond reasonable doubt and I reject this submission.
Mr McCallum submits that although this offender was offered $1,000 for his assistance in facilitating the delivery of the consignment, it does not follow that his participation in the offences was motivated by financial reward. The psychologist's formulation was that this offender presents as an inherently prosocial person whose offending was precipitated by his desire to be liked by others and concern that his employer's business might be affected by the drug delivery should be adopted. I accept that formulation.
This offender, I find, was a reluctant participant. It was not his intention to get involved. His first response was to attempt to dissuade Martellotta from continuing with the offence when told of Martellotta's involvement in it. He frankly acknowledged that he could have informed the police about the consignment rather than agreeing to assist in facilitating its delivery, but felt conflicted by not wanting to assist bringing drugs into the country on the one hand and not wanting to get his friends into trouble on the other. The correct response in those circumstances would have been to go to the police, which is a proposition that I am satisfied that Mr Martinez now understands.
It is submitted by Mr McCallum that the objective seriousness falls very much towards the lower end of the range, particularly having regard to his role and motivation. The Crown disagrees with that proposition. It is very difficult to know what the offender's role was except to say that at some two occasions he passed on some messages from his co-offenders to the other. In my opinion, taking into account that the maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment, and that there is no non-parole period, I find that the objective seriousness falls at the lower end of the range, having regard to his role and his motivation for offending.

R v Bittner; R v Martinez

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Judgment (43 paragraphs)

Cases Cited (13)

Cited By (1)