R v McKinley

In the High Court of New Zealand, four defendants, Simon McKinley, Cameron Broxton, Jeanette Morris, and Gerald Hill, were sentenced for various drug-related offences. The court had to decide on the appropriate starting points for their sentences, taking into account the level of culpability and the Supreme Court's decision in Cameron v R. The court also had to consider the impact of the delay in bringing the defendants to trial and the discounts for their guilty pleas. Finally, the court assessed the personal circumstances of each defendant, including their remorse, rehabilitation efforts, and likelihood of re-offending.

The court decided that the starting points for the defendants' sentences should be reduced to reflect the lesser standard of culpability of recklessness, as per the Cameron v R decision. The court also granted discounts for the undue delay in bringing the defendants to trial and for their guilty pleas. In assessing the personal circumstances of each defendant, the court considered factors such as remorse, rehabilitation efforts, and likelihood of re-offending.

The court sentenced Simon McKinley to 10 months' home detention, Cameron Broxton to 8 months' home detention, Jeanette Morris to 6 months' community detention, and Gerald Hill to 6 months' home detention and 150 hours of community work. These sentences were subject to the conditions set out in the relevant pre-sentence reports, with some modifications.