Parker v The Queen

The appeal concerned a conviction for sexual offences. The appellant, Parker, was found guilty by a jury of certain offences against the complainant. The appeal was brought before the Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

The central legal issue before the Full Court was whether the verdict reached by the jury was unreasonable or unsupported by the evidence, as argued by the appellant. This ground of appeal was based on several perceived weaknesses in the prosecution's case, including the uncorroborated nature of the complainant's evidence, inconsistencies within the complainant's own testimony, discrepancies between the complainant's evidence and that of other witnesses (specifically JM and TT), and the significant forensic disadvantage suffered by the appellant due to the passage of over 30 years between the alleged offending and the trial.

The Full Court acknowledged the forensic disadvantage faced by the appellant due to the considerable time lapse since the alleged offences. However, after undertaking an independent review of the evidence, the Court concluded that this disadvantage, when considered alongside the other matters raised by the appellant, did not create a reasonable doubt as to the charged conduct. The Court found that the matters relied upon by the appellant, whether considered individually or cumulatively, were insufficient to undermine the challenged convictions.

The Full Court granted the appellant permission to appeal but ultimately dismissed the appeal, upholding the jury's verdict.