R. v. Goulette (L.F.), (2009) 350 N.B.R.(2d) 152 (CA)

• Judge: Drapeau, C.J.N.B., Richard and Quigg, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: June 30, 2009
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (2009), 350 N.B.R.(2d) 152 (CA);2009 NBCA 49

R. v. Goulette (L.F.) (2009), 350 N.B.R.(2d) 152 (CA);

    350 R.N.-B.(2e) 152; 903 A.P.R. 152

MLB headnote and full text

Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. NO.019

Renvoi temp.: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. NO.019

Her Majesty the Queen (appellant) v. Lawrence Frederick Goulette (respondent)

(115-08-CA; 2009 NBCA 49)

Indexed As: R. v. Goulette (L.F.)

Répertorié: R. v. Goulette (L.F.)

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Drapeau, C.J.N.B., Richard and Quigg, JJ.A.

June 30, 2009.

Summary:

Résumé:

The New Brunswick Provincial Court, in a decision reported [2008] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 165, convicted the accused of (a) breaking and entering a dwelling-house and committing assault against the occupant, and (b) damaging the occupant's property. The court, in a judgment not reported in this series, sentenced the accused as follows: (a) for breaking and entering, 30 months in jail less 21 months' remand credit, leaving a sentence of nine months in jail; and (b) for damaging the property, six months in jail concurrent. The Crown appealed, with leave. The Crown also moved for leave to adduce further evidence.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal authorized the further evidence and allowed the appeal. The court sentenced the accused to seven years in jail for both offences, less a 78 week remand credit, leaving a balance of five and one half years in jail for breaking and entering and six months concurrent for damaging the property.

Criminal Law - Topic 4970

Appeals - Indictable offences - Powers of Court of Appeal - Receiving fresh evidence - General - On November 30, 2007, the accused broke into the victim's home at 3:00 a.m. to beat up the occupant and damage his property - The occupant/victim suffered serious injury - The trial judge convicted the accused of (a) breaking and entering a dwelling-house and committing assault against the occupant, and (b) damaging the occupant's property - At sentencing, the prosecutor tendered records of the accused's 24 previous convictions as a young offender and 37 as an adult - The adult record stopped in 1998 and did not disclose a September 2008 conviction for an offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in relation to an incident which occurred in August 2007 - Counsel for the accused, who had also represented him on the drug offence, pointed out to the court that the accused had not had a Criminal Code offence problem since 1998 - The trial judge, noting that the accused had been "fairly okay" for 10 years sentenced him as follows: (a) for breaking and entering, 30 months in jail less 21 months' remand credit, leaving a sentence of nine months in jail; and (b) for damaging the property, six months in jail concurrent - The Crown appealed, with leave, and moved for leave to adduce further evidence in respect of the accused's record - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal granted the motion where it was in the interests of justice to do so even though the due diligence criteria had not been complied with - See paragraphs 19 to 31.

Criminal Law - Topic 5833

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Deterrence - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5834

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Circumstances tending to increase sentence - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5834.6

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Seriousness of circumstances - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.7

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Denunciation or repudiation of conduct - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Home invasion - On November 30, 2007, the accused broke into the victim's home at 3:00 a.m. to beat up the occupant and damage his property - The occupant/victim suffered serious injury - The trial judge convicted the accused of (a) breaking and entering a dwelling-house and committing assault against the occupant, and (b) damaging the occupant's property - The trial judge imposed the following sentences: (a) for breaking and entering, 30 months in jail less 21 months' remand credit, leaving a sentence of nine months in jail; and (b) for damaging the property, six months in jail concurrent - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal quashed the sentence as unfit - The court substituted the following sentence: seven years in jail for both offences, less a 78 week remand credit, leaving a balance of five and one half years in jail for breaking and entering and six months concurrent for damaging the property - The circumstances of the offence were serious - The accused's responsibility was at the "highest end" - Aggravating circumstances included the seriousness of the victim's injuries and the requirement of s. 348.1 of the Criminal Code to consider as an aggravating circumstance the fact that the victim's residence was occupied - The court stressed deterrence and denunciation - See paragraphs 32 to 57.

Criminal Law - Topic 5851

Sentence - Break and enter - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5890

Sentence - Mischief (includes vandalism) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 6203

Sentencing - Appeals - Variation of sentence - Grounds for varying sentence imposed by trial judge - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 4970

Appels - Actes criminels - Pouvoirs de la Cour d'appel - Réception d'une preuve nouvelle - Généralités - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 4970 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5833

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Dissuasion - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5833 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5834

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Circonstances aggravantes - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5834 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5834.6

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Gravité des circonstances - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5834.6 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5848.7

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Dénonciation ou répudiation de la conduite - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5848.7 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5849.23

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Invasion de domicile - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5849.23 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5851

Peine - Introduction par effraction - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5851 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5890

Peine - Méfait (y compris vandalisme) - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5890 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 6203

Détermination de la peine - Appels - Modification de la peine - Motifs de modification de la peine infligée par le juge du procès - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 6203 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Lévesque (R.), [2000] 2 S.C.R. 487; 260 N.R. 165; 2000 SCC 47, consd. [para. 1].

R. v. Palmer, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 759; 30 N.R. 181, consd. [para. 1].

R. v. Shropshire (M.T.), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 227; 188 N.R. 284; 65 B.C.A.C. 37; 106 W.A.C. 37, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. C.A.M., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500; 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. McDonnell (T.E.), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 948; 210 N.R. 241; 196 A.R. 321; 141 W.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. L.M., [2008] 2 S.C.R. 163; 374 N.R. 351; 2008 SCC 31, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. LeBlanc (G.A.) (2003), 264 N.B.R.(2d) 341; 691 A.P.R. 341; 2003 NBCA 75, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. R.K.J. (1998), 207 N.B.R.(2d) 24; 529 A.P.R. 24 (C.A.), consd. [para. 16].

R. v. Angelillo (G.), [2006] 2 S.C.R. 728; 355 N.R. 226; 2006 SCC 55, dist. [para. 20].

R. v. McBirnie (P.S.) (1992), 59 O.A.C. 1 (C.A.), consd. [para. 22].

R. v. Duguid (1953), 107 C.C.C. 310 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

R. v. McCarthy (S.P.) (2005), 248 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 14; 741 A.P.R. 14; 198 C.C.C.(3d) 383; 2005 NLCA 36, refd to. [para. 30].

R. v. Oulton (S.M.) (2004), 268 N.B.R.(2d) 389; 704 A.P.R. 389; 2004 NBCA 21, refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. Joyce (K.R.) (1998), 203 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 518 A.P.R. 1 (C.A.), consd. [para. 39].

R. v. Ivan (S.A.) (2000), 230 N.B.R.(2d) 313; 593 A.P.R. 313 (C.A.), consd. [para. 40].

R. v. Brideau (T.) (2006), 308 N.B.R.(2d) 296; 797 A.P.R. 296; 2006 NBCA 94, dist. [para. 42].

R. v. Lyons (P.) (2007), 312 N.B.R.(2d) 22; 806 A.P.R. 22; 2007 NBQB 91, consd. [para. 43].

R. v. Lavoie, 2004 NBPC 23, consd. [para. 43].

R. v. Feeney (M.), [1997] 2 S.C.R. 13; 212 N.R. 83; 91 B.C.A.C. 1; 148 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. Howe (P.L.) (2007), 330 N.B.R.(2d) 204; 845 A.P.R. 204; 2007 NBCA 84, refd to. [para. 54].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Ewaschuk, Eugene G., Criminal Pleadings and Practice in Canada (2nd Ed.) (2009 Looseleaf Update), para. 18:0480 [para. 54].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Gabriel Bourgeois, Q.C., and Stephen Holt, for the appellant;

No one appeared for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on June 30, 2009, by Drapeau, C.J.N.B., Richard and Quigg, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. The following decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered orally on June 30, 2009, with the following reasons delivered in both official languages on November 19, 2009, by Richard, J.A.