The case provides a convenient summary of the principles governing three common grounds of criminal appeal: (1) the res gestae exception to the hearsay rule requires approximate contemporaneity and conditions excluding the possibility of concoction; (2) allegations of incompetent defence counsel must be supported by affidavit evidence and must demonstrate that counsel's conduct caused a miscarriage of justice, with rational forensic decisions not giving rise to unfairness; (3) new evidence (as distinct from fresh evidence) will only ground an appeal if it establishes innocence or raises such doubt that the court is satisfied the appellant should not have been convicted.
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