RKF v R
[2016] NSWCCA 116
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW)
Decision date
2016-03-03
Before
Bathurst CJ, Hall J, Hulme J, Traill J
Catchwords
- KM v R
- Vaziri v R [2015] NSWCCA 244 Cheih-Wei Lin v R [2015] NSWCCA 264 DAO v R [2011] NSWCCA 63
- 81 NSWLR 568 House v The King [1936] HCA 40
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Catchwords
Judgment (11 paragraphs)
[This headnote is not to be read as part of the judgment] RKF (the applicant) was charged with two counts of aggravated indecent assault against his daughter, SF, and one count of intimidating her with the intention of causing her to fear physical harm. SF was born in Thailand. For the majority of SF's early life, the applicant was remanded in custody on drug charges in both Thailand and Italy, all charges of which he was later acquitted. In 2007, SF moved to Australia where she lived with the applicant's mother. In 2009, the applicant returned to Australia after release from prison in Italy. SF did not want anything to do with the applicant but in 2011, after experiencing relationship difficulties with her grandmother, she moved to Sydney to live with him. In 2013, the applicant went overseas and the following day, SF was admitted to hospital with liver failure. Family and Community Services were notified. The applicant returned to Australia and SF was transferred to Westmead Children's Hospital where she underwent a liver transplant, requiring further surgery on two other occasions. On her transfer, SF met a social worker, Ms Carmody, who she told that she did not want to see the applicant. This information was passed on to the nursing staff. As a result, one of the nurses, Ms Chia, described herself as "hyper-vigilant" in respect of any interaction between SF and the applicant. After SF's operation, Ms Chia alleged that she came into the room where SF was lying unconscious and saw the applicant place his hand on her breast and stroke it for a few seconds. After SF underwent the final surgery, Ms Carmody alleged that she entered the room where SF was lying unconscious and saw the applicant stroke SF's breast. These allegations were reported to police and the applicant was informed. Another nurse, Ms Palmer, alleged that when the applicant returned to the hospital, she heard him shouting and threatening SF. In a recorded interview, SF indicated that, as far as she was aware, the applicant had never touched her inappropriately. The applicant filed an election for a judge alone trial. Senior Counsel for the applicant argued that in order to properly present the applicant's case it was necessary to explore why SF did not want anything to do with her father, which involved revealing his prior alleged criminality in order to refute adverse inferences arising from his absence and challenge alleged assumptions held by Ms Carmody and the nursing staff. The primary judge refused the application and the applicant sought leave to appeal under s 5F(3) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW). The issues on appeal were: