A voluntary confession to police constitutes assistance to law enforcement authorities under s 23 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) and must be taken into account as a separate consideration from the discount for the utilitarian value of a guilty plea. Failure to do so constitutes sentencing error requiring resentencing. The discount for assistance under s 23 must be stated separately from the plea discount pursuant to s 23(4).
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 3 later cases that cite this judgment.
2 of the 3 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.