Case Results

A client was charged with 2 charges of rape in circumstances where the alleged victim had taken medication and consumed alcohol. She denied consent, so a mistake of fact defence was pursued in addition to actual consent. The client gave evidence and was acquitted of both charges.

A client was charged with indecent treatment and rape of his young daughter. Cross-examination of his ex-wife caused significant damage to the prosecution case, establishing the mother had likely influenced the daughter to make a false complaint. The client gave evidence and was acquitted of all charges.

A client pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a female employee after a work Christmas party. He couldn’t remember details of what happened, so we carefully reviewed the evidence and provided advice on the case and his prospects of conviction. We obtained high-quality references, a letter of apology, and prepared extensive written submissions to the court. The prosecutor asked for a jail sentence, but we achieved a 2 year probation order with no conviction recorded.

A client was charged with 2 counts of rape following allegations by a woman he had met on a night out. She said she had no memory of the events leading up to the incident. We carefully analysed hours of CCTV footage and the witness statements, identified significant defects in the prosecution case, and put those defects to the DPP in a detailed written submission arguing the case should be dropped. The DPP agreed and withdrew both charges, an exceptional result in cases that so often come down to one word against another. The client was discharged without facing trial. This matter was resolved under Queensland's current affirmative consent laws, which commenced in September 2024.

A client was charged with grooming and indecent treatment offences alleged to have occurred against his niece over an extended period, and the matter proceeded to trial. We briefed experienced counsel and prepared the matter carefully to press the inconsistencies in the evidence, bring out the background behind the allegations, and test the credibility of the prosecution witnesses. After a 4 day trial, the jury returned verdicts of not guilty on all counts and the client was discharged.

A client was charged with the rape of a work colleague, which he denied from the outset. We assisted him from the initial police interview all the way through to trial, where his early interview and careful cross-examination exposed the problems in the complainant's account: she gave evidence of doing things that simply did not add up. After a 3 day trial he was found not guilty, avoiding the prospect of years in jail.

A client pleaded guilty to possessing 1 CEM video, which had been uploaded to a cloud storage website (mega.nz). On our advice, he engaged early with a clinical psychologist to address his underlying pornography addiction. By the time of his sentence, he had made significant changes to his life and dealt with the underlying issues. He received a fine with no conviction recorded.

A client pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material, which was uncovered after he had uploaded files to a file sharing site (mega.nz). Police located 260 images on his phone, with about 60% in Category 1. There was also evidence showing he had shared links to mega.nz with other users, but he had not been charged for that.

He engaged our services before he was officially charged, and engaged in treatment with our preferred psychologist straight away. By the time of his sentence, he had completed extensive treatment and obtained an excellent recommendation and report from his psychologist. He received 2 years probation with no conviction recorded.

A client was charged with possessing CEM and recording someone in a state of undress (observations/recordings in breach of privacy). He was immediately referred to expert psychologists for treatment. Meanwhile, we negotiated the facts of the matter with the DPP, resulting in very favourable agreed facts. He received a 2 year probation order, with no conviction recorded.

A client pleaded guilty to an offence of importing Tier 2 goods (child abuse material – CAM) by bringing it into the country on his mobile phone and iPad. There were 16 CAM files: 14 videos and 2 images. Against our advice, he did not engage in treatment, but did see a psychologist to obtain a forensic report about his risk factors. He avoided jail, receiving a wholly suspended sentence of 12 months imprisonment, plus probation for 2 years.

A client was charged with possessing CEM and possessing child abuse material obtained using a carriage service. After careful analysis of the forensic reports, we successfully negotiated for both charges to be discontinued in the Magistrates Court based on our deep understanding of the electronic evidence.

A client was charged with State offences of possessing child exploitation material. We inspected the forensic reports in person to analyse the file properties, and our submissions succeeded in having the number of files charged reduced significantly, down to 11 videos in category 1 and 11 images in category 2. We also referred him for treatment early, so that by the time of his sentence he had completed extensive counselling and could demonstrate genuine insight into his offending. He received 2 and a half years probation with no conviction recorded.

A client was charged with State offences of making and possessing child exploitation material after recording a child known to him and saving the videos. We referred him for treatment early on, and by the time of his sentence he had completed extensive counselling and shown insight into his offending. He received 2 years imprisonment wholly suspended for an operational period of 2 years, avoiding any actual time in custody, which was the critical outcome.

A client was charged with grooming under section 218B of the Criminal Code, for grooming a person he believed to be the parent of a child under 16 to facilitate the procurement of the child for a sexual act. In reality he had been engaging with an undercover police officer posing as the mother of a 12 year old. We referred him for treatment, which he engaged in extensively, obtained expert reports, negotiated the agreed facts, and briefed experienced counsel to make submissions for him to stay out of jail. He received 12 months imprisonment wholly suspended, with a 3 year operational period, and served no time in custody.

A client was charged with supplying dangerous drugs while already on bail for drug trafficking, and police refused bail. Alleged offending of that kind while on bail put him in a show cause position: he had to satisfy the court that his continued detention in custody was not justified. We carefully analysed the police material to identify the weaknesses in the prosecution case, and prepared a comprehensive draft bail order with conditions squarely addressing the risk of reoffending, including rehabilitation and drug testing. Despite strong police objection, the Magistrate was persuaded and our client was granted bail.

A client was charged with repeat child exploitation material offences and refused bail in the Magistrates Court. We applied for bail in the Supreme Court and were initially refused. We did not leave it there: we prepared a second application, arguing that a change in circumstances justified release. The second application succeeded, and our client was granted bail on strict conditions.

A client was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, after a fight outside Howard Smith Wharves. A punch had split the other person's lip all the way through, an injury serious enough to require plastic surgery, and he was facing the real prospect of a term of actual imprisonment. We negotiated the facts with the prosecution and prepared thoroughly for sentence, obtaining a psychological report and character references speaking to his otherwise good character. He received 12 months imprisonment with an immediate release to parole, together with 40 hours of community service, which the law makes mandatory for violence committed in public while intoxicated.

A client, a registered nurse, was charged with assault after a fight outside a country pub. The charge put her job, her AHPRA registration and her blue card all at risk. We negotiated with the police and the complainant to resolve the matter out of court through an offer of compensation. On the basis of that settlement the charge was withdrawn, leaving her with no conviction and her registration and career intact.

A client was charged with high range drink driving with a reading of 0.281, more than five times the general limit, together with failing to comply with the duties of a driver involved in a single vehicle crash. We guided him through a structured program of rehabilitation before sentence: a traffic offenders' program, counselling for alcohol and drug use with supporting letters, and character references. He received a $2,100 fine and a 12 month licence disqualification, with no conviction recorded.

A provisional (P plate) licence holder was charged with driving with a relevant drug present in his saliva. We obtained material showing the effect losing his licence would have on his livelihood, and argued for the shortest disqualification open to the court. He received the minimum 3 month disqualification and a $300 fine, with no conviction recorded.

A client was caught driving more than 40km/h over the speed limit, which carries an automatic licence suspension. He lived alone, had no one who could drive him to and from work, and where he lived meant public transport was not an option and taxis and rideshare were unaffordable. We took detailed instructions and prepared a comprehensive affidavit addressing every matter the legislation requires the court to weigh, had him complete a traffic offenders' program, and obtained a supporting affidavit from his employer. The special hardship order was granted, allowing him to drive Monday to Friday for 6 months, keeping his job and his independence.

A self employed pharmacist was charged with low range drink driving (0.068) after being intercepted early on a Saturday morning. Without a licence he could not get to work or make house visits to his patients. We took detailed instructions, prepared a comprehensive affidavit addressing every matter the court must consider, had him complete a traffic offenders' program, and made submissions on why a restricted work licence should be granted. The work licence was granted for the 2 month disqualification period, with a $400 fine for the drink driving and no conviction recorded. He kept working throughout, and his professional reputation was protected.

A client was charged with a significant fraud after a stolen credit card was used to run up around $120,000 in hotel charges. The quantum initially alleged was more than $200,000. We negotiated extensively with the prosecution to bring the alleged amount down by a significant margin, which opened the way to argue for a lower penalty, and we obtained extensive records and character references in support of our submissions. She received 4 years imprisonment suspended after serving one third, a substantially better outcome than she faced on the amount originally alleged.

A client was charged with fraud after a stolen credit card was used to buy furniture and police traced the delivery to his house. We carefully analysed the evidence and identified defects in the police investigation, and used them to negotiate for the charge to be dropped. The charge was discontinued by police, leaving him with no conviction.