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[2002] SASC 399
Supreme Court of SA
2002-12-05
Gray JJ, Nyland J, Williams J
Original judgment source is linked above.
Court of Criminal Appeal: Nyland, Williams and Gray JJ
" - A sealed paper bag containing a black garbag with 1731.5g of damp Cannabis leaf material. > > - A sealed paper bag containing 370.0g of slightly moist Cannabis leaf material. > > - A sealed paper bag containing 1548.0g of slightly damp mouldy female Cannabis plant material on cut stem pieces up to approximately 30 cm long. > > - A sealed paper bag containing a plastic bag with 346.5g of slightly damp mouldy Cannabis leaf material with some stem pieces and several items of rubbish. > > - A sealed paper bag containing a paper bag with 119.5g of female Cannabis plant material. > > - A sealed paper bag containing a broken jar with 26.5g of Cannabis leaf and female flower material. > > - A sealed paper bag containing a shopping bag with 330.0g of female Cannabis plant material. > > - A sealed paper bag containing 1012.0g of slightly moist female Cannabis plant material on cut stem pieces up to approximately 40 cm long. > > - A sealed envelope containing five envelopes each with a Cannabis plant sample. > > The weights reported in this Certificate are those obtained at the time of the analysis and are rounded down to the nearest whole or half gram. The total weight of Cannabis material weighed above (calculated as the sum of the rounded down weights) was 5484.0 grams."
"a plant, or any part (including the seed) of a plant, of the genus cannabis, but does not include cannabis resin or cannabis oil."
Section 32(1)(e) provides:
"(1) A person must not knowingly -
...
(e) have such a drug or substance in his or her possession for the purpose of the sale, supply or administration of that drug or substance to another person."
"For the purposes of this section, a person who knowingly has in his or her possession more than a prescribed amount of a drug of dependence or a prohibited substance, being an amount that is prescribed for the purposes of this subsection, will, in the absence of proof to the contrary, be presumed to have that drug or substance in his or her possession for the purpose of the sale or supply of that drug or substance to another person."
Regulation 6 of the Controlled Substances (Prohibited Substances) Regulations 2000 provides:
"For the purposes of section 32(3) of the Act, the prescribed amount of a prohibited substance is the amount listed in the second column of Schedule 2 opposite the entry listing the prohibited substance."
"You heard the accused plead guilty to producing cannabis; that is, growing cannabis plants. You must not reason that because she pleaded guilty to that offence she must therefore be guilty of the offence she is charged with, and which you are considering, of possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling it. It would be quite wrong for you to do that. You can, of course, use the fact of growing cannabis as evidence in the case against her for possessing cannabis for sale but not to conclude, that because she is guilty of producing cannabis she must be guilty of possessing the loose plant material, if you find it to be cannabis.
...
Bear in mind that [the amount of 5,484 grams] does not include any growing plants. All that was weighed was loose cannabis ...whether it be stalk, leaf or head."
"It is of course, true to say as an abstract proposition of law that, even where the accused is represented by counsel and counsel fails to take objection to any piece of evidence, or to any passage in the summing up, or to ask the judge to discharge the jury because of some incident in the trial, or to take any other particular procedural course, nevertheless a court of criminal appeal is not precluded from interfering (Stirling v Director of Public Prosecutions[3]; Reg v Hally[4]). But the silence of counsel on such occasions must always be a very cogent factor in considering whether the accused really suffered any prejudice from any irregularity or whether there has been any miscarriage of justice; cf R v Neal[5]. Sometimes, indeed, such silence may indicate a deliberate decision that the interests of the accused would be better served by allowing the matter to pass over unnoticed. Sometimes it may indicate an implied consent to inadmissible evidence or an implied exercise of some option open to the accused or an implied waiver of some right."
"You have the evidence of Sergeant Martin that female cannabis material is the part of the cannabis plant preferred by cannabis users and that it commands the highest price. > > Sergeant Martin told you that cannabis leaf and stem have lower concentrations of THC, the active ingredient of cannabis, than the female head which is the prized part of the cannabis plant. So, if leaf material is mixed with female head, the price is reduced. > > ... > > It's a matter for you but you may conclude from Sergeant Martin's evidence that cannabis stems are not a saleable product of the cannabis plant except for the extraction of cannabis oil. He spoke only of cannabis female head and leaf as being marketable. > > Sergeant Martin also told you of the kind of packaging in which cannabis is sold: plastic bags, the size of money bags, holding 1 to 4 grams, the price $20 to $30 and ounce bags holding 28.4 grams for the price of $300 to $400, in each case, for the female cannabis material. > > He said the plastic bags in ... were, what he described, as jewellery bags holding or could hold 1 to 4 grams and that there was, as I understood his evidence, one bag of a slightly larger size not usually used to package cannabis. > > Sergeant Martin told you that, in his experience, those in possession of cannabis, for the purpose of sale, may be found in possession of large amounts of cash and other, what are called, indicia of selling cannabis, such as lists of names and packages of cannabis or scales. > > The circumstantial evidence upon which the Crown relies are bags; the description and number of them, what was submitted to be the sheer quantity - up to 5 kilograms of cannabis material; the plants in the shed that are said to be healthy plants; on the evidence of Mr Martin, it is submitted they would produce or could produce 1 to 1-and-a-half pounds of head material, and the potential sale price of that; the quantities of cannabis, that is, 1 pound, could be sold, on Sergeant Martin's evidence, for up to $3,000... > > In the course of his submissions, [the prosecutor] told you, or reminded you, that the accused said that she consumed 20 or 30 cones of cannabis a day. He said there was no expert evidence before you of what the usual consumption of cannabis users is, or what the effect of such a great consumption might be. He suggested that it was a matter for your own experience. > > ... > > You could only bring to account what the effect of such smoking might be if there was expert evidence before you, that you accepted, of what is the usual rate of use and what the effect might be of smoking 20 to 30 cones."
"...Suffice it to say that the essential concept involved in the rule permitting the leading of so‑called expert evidence, is that material of that type is considered to be appropriate and helpful in relation to matters which involve spheres of knowledge about which the ordinary person knows relatively little. It may, of course, be evidence of fact or opinion, or a combination of both. > > As is pointed out by the learned author P Gillies, Law of Evidence in Australia (2nd ed, 1991), at pp 377-379, whilst the classic field of expertise is that which relates to an organised branch of knowledge which is identifiable as a discipline in the social or physical sciences, fields of expertise, for the purposes of the law of evidence, are not so confined. > > A person may be viewed as relevantly being an expert in an area of skill or knowledge by virtue of nothing more than his or her practical experience in a field which may not necessarily have been reduced to organised, documented knowledge. (See also P Gillies, 'What is a relevant field of expertise?'[11]). > > ... > > The courts have, in any event, long held that ... a person may be classified as having relevant expert status by virtue of formal training, or through mere practical experience or informal study in appropriate circumstances. (See, eg, Nickisson v The Queen[12]; R v Duncan[13]; Cooper v Bech (No 2)[14] and R v Murphy[15].) The credentials required depend fundamentally on the field of expertise in question. > > The basic principle involved is that the person must, through knowledge, however acquired, have reliable knowledge and/or skill reaching beyond that in the possession of the trier of fact. (Generally see the comment of Young J in his article headed 'Quasi experts' contained in (1992) 66 ALJ 379.)"
"In our opinion the evidence of police officers based on their accumulated experience combining personal observation with information received concerning characteristics, prices, packaging, terminology and availability of heroin by comparison with other illicit drugs was relevant and admissible. Such evidence is in the nature of expert evidence although it may also involve factual evidence of personal experience and observation. Expert evidence about such matters necessarily involves some hearsay evidence. It would be quite artificial and place an unnecessary restraint on prosecution and police work to limit such evidence to those who had been involved in undercover work in the illicit drug market. ... In the end it must be a matter of weight, but I do not consider that the mere fact that the experience relied upon includes both personal observation and experience, as well as information received through intelligence reports or from informants, means that an attempt has to be made to isolate the two areas of knowledge so as to establish the admissibility of evidence based on the one source and exclude evidence based on the other."
"You will hear evidence from an experienced police officer that the sale value of female cannabis material is worth many thousands of dollars.
The prosecutor laid an adequate foundation for Detective Martin to give expert evidence. It was not suggested that he had botanical qualifications or other similar expertise. He did not purport to rely on statistics or theories. He gave evidence as a police officer with extensive involvement in the criminal investigation of cannabis production. His evidence was based on his experience. There was no challenge to his expertise on a voir dire. He was not asked questions about his employment history or the extent of his experience. No challenge was made at trial to his ability to give the now impugned evidence.
"...it is simply not fair and should not be permitted that, at this stage of this trial, the Crown's expert witness is entitled to advance an alternative theory that could possibly be speculated about to provide a basis for her guilt."
"Have you in your years of experience in the police force and the Drug Task Force, come upon people who regularly and quite heavily use cannabis. > > ... > > In those circumstances, as an expert in the drug trade your evidence is that the finding of that money is consistent and indicative of sales of cannabis isn't it."
"Q. Assuming an ideal growing condition, based on your experience, do you know what might be the average yield of the healthy female plant. > > A. Somewhere between one to one and half pound. > > Q. That is an approximate figure is it. > > A. Yes."
"When you think about those three plants you also need to bear in mind Detective Martin's evidence that a healthy plant might yield one to one and a half pounds of head material. It's only average figure. It's a working guide, but it should give you some kind of understanding as to the kind of head material the accused was about to get."
It was contended that in his summing up the judge compounded this error.
"...the plants in the shed that are said to be healthy plants, on the evidence of Mr Martin, it is submitted they would produce or could produce 1 to 11/2 pounds of head material and the potential sale of that, the quantities of cannabis - that is, one pound, could be sold, on Sergeant Martin's evidence, for up to $3,000...
[Defence counsel] said the politicians have marked a line in the sand of 100 grams. He made a submission to you concerning the anomalies and the absurdities in fixing such a limit of 100 grams, pointing out that, on the evidence before you, each plant, at maturity, would be capable of bearing one to one and a half pounds of female head. Three plants, it was submitted, can be grown, or at that time could be grown, three cannabis plants, which although an offence, could be expiated by the payment of a fine."
"I don't say it's the factor that will make or break the direction, but, I say it's an important matter to get the evidence correct..."
"I admit the prosecutor has, in error, addressed on the basis of them being female head which was clearly not correct....Yes, his Honour picked that up. ... If it was a matter of any great moment you might have expected counsel to pick it up at the end of the summing up, but that wasn't to happen either."
"I remind you that of the 5 kilograms that all of this material weighed, there was no evidence put before you as to how much of it was stalk or part branches. But there is evidence before you as to two particular exhibits, where there was a quantity of dry female cannabis head amounting to a little less than 500 grams"
"But for the police attending one could readily assume that there was more head material to be obtained. So gradually, steadily, you can see that, whilst from the outset she might only have a starting point of more than a pound, there was soon a lot more to be gained. > > ... > > So, overall, there was a large quantity in her actual possession at the time and there was more significant quantities to be obtained in the near future."
"[the jury] would be entitled to say 'She's growing more plants, that suggests to me that she wasn't going to keep the one she had grown and picked and dried, therefore I conclude that she might have been going to sell them. That is a matter that I put in the guilty basket"
"Another piece of circumstantial evidence relates to the cultivation of further plants and you need to think about it carefully, because you might say to yourself 'Hold on a minute, we're talking about loose cannabis, which is the subject of the offence. Why do I need to think about the plants?' > > The plants are significant for two main reasons: one of them is that they show that down the track further yields of cannabis were expected and I've already touched on that, in relation to the three plants in the shed. I won't labour the point. But bear in mind Detective Martin's evidence about the average yield of the plant. Secondly, however, they show an element of continuity or regularity in what this woman was doing, and in thinking about that, you need to think also about the 12 immature plants. I refer to those 12 immature plants as the replacement crop for the more mature plants."
"Q. How were you going to pay off or, in fact, how did you finance the hydroponic equipment, given you had an $8,000 credit card debt. > > ...
Producing Cannabis (section 32(1)(a) of the Controlled Substances Act, 1984)
Sharon Lee Morrison between the 1st day of March 2001 and the 27th March 2001 at Seacombe Gardens, knowingly produced cannabis, a prohibited substance.
Possessing Cannabis for Sale (Section 32(1)(e) of the Controlled Substances Act, 1984)
Sharon Lee Morrison on the 26th day of April 2001 at Seacombe Gardens, knowingly had cannabis, a prohibited substance, in her possession for the purposes of selling it to another person.
It is further alleged that the said offence involved more than 2 kilograms of cannabis."
2 (1975) 13 SASR 84 at 88
3 [1944] AC 315 at pp 327-328
4 [1962] QSR 214 at p 221
5 (1949) 33 Cr App R 189, at pp 195-196
6 The Queen v Bonython (1984-85) 38 SASR 45 at 46 per King CJ
7 R v Humphrey [1999] SASC 67; (1998-99) 72 SASR 558
8 Bennett v The Queen (1998) 144 FLR 311
9 Marchesano v R [2000] WASCA 225; (2000) 116 A Crim R 237
10 (1992) 60 SASR 90 at 103
11 (1986) 60 ALJ 597 at 601
13 [1963] WAR 114 at 119-120
14 (1969) 90 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 150 at 155
15 (1975) 12 SASR 151 at 152
16 [1980] 1 QB 434 at 437
17 [1990] WASC 226; (1990) 46 A Crim R 282 at 361
18 See R v Karger (2002) 221 LSJS 224 at [125]; The Queen v Killick (1980) 24 SASR 137 at 153; Reid v Kerr (1974) 9 SASR 367 at 375
Producing Cannabis (section 32(1)(a) of the Controlled Substances Act, 1984)
Sharon Lee Morrison between the 1st day of March 2001 and the 27th April 2001 at Seacombe Gardens, knowingly produced cannabis, a prohibited substance.
Possessing Cannabis for Sale (Section 32(1)(e) of the Controlled Substances Act, 1984)
Sharon Lee Morrison on the 26th day of April 2001 at Seacombe Gardens, knowingly had cannabis, a prohibited substance, in her possession for the purposes of selling it to another person.
It is further alleged that the said offence involved more than 2 kilograms of cannabis."
[2] (1975) 13 SASR 84 at 88
[3] [1944] AC 315 at pp 327-328
[4] [1962] QSR 214 at p 221
[5] (1949) 33 Cr App R 189, at pp 195-196
[6] The Queen v Bonython (1984-85) 38 SASR 45 at 46 per King CJ
[7] R v Humphrey [1999] SASC 67; (1998-99) 72 SASR 558
[8] Bennett v The Queen (1998) 144 FLR 311
[9] Marchesano v R [2000] WASCA 225; (2000) 116 A Crim R 237
[10] (1992-93) 60 SASR 90 at 103
[11] (1986) 60 ALJ 597 at 601
[12] [1963] WAR 114 at 119-120
[14] (1975) 12 SASR 151 at 152
[15] [1980] 1 QB 434 at 437
[18] See R v Karger (2002) 221 LSJS 224 at [125]; The Queen v Killick (1980) 24 SASR 137 at 153; Reid v Kerr (1974) 9 SASR 367 at 375
R
MORRISON No. SCCRM-02-74 [2002] SASC 399
(1975) 13 SASR 84
(1998) 144 FLR 311
(1992) 60 SASR 90
(1975) 12 SASR 151
(1980) 24 SASR 137
(1974) 9 SASR 367