Solo v R [2026] NSWCCA 130 concerned Frederick Solo’s sentence for recklessly causing grievous bodily harm in company, arising from a joint criminal enterprise during a violent melee. His sole appeal ground alleged parity with co-offender Maurice Trindall, who received a shorter sentence despite a more active role and an additional Form 1 matter. The Court held that numerical comparison alone was insufficient. Solo’s substantially worse subjective case—including his criminal history, offending while on parole and community correction orders, poor compliance, sparse remorse and weaker rehabilitation prospects—justified the difference. Backdating also narrowed the practical disparity. Leave to appeal was granted, but the appeal was dismissed.

R v Baziad (No 3) [2026] NSWSC 1038. Boulten J sentenced Gofal Baziad for the 2004 murder of Jason Palmer, committed amid a love triangle. Baziad attacked Palmer with a glass object and knife, concealed and disposed of his body, fled Australia and continued denying responsibility. The key sentencing issues were the facts proved in the circumstantial case, objective seriousness, whether life imprisonment was required, and the effect of the long delay, age and low future risk. Planning was not proved, and the murder was assessed around mid-range seriousness. The Court imposed 24 years’ imprisonment, with an 18-year non-parole period commencing 17 June 2024.

RS v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2026] NSWCCA 128 concerned a subpoena for material relating to alleged sexual offending by the applicant’s son, RJ. RS faced Commonwealth charges over child abuse material found on his phone and proposed that RJ, who allegedly had access to it, may have been responsible. The key issue was whether the subpoenaed material had a legitimate forensic purpose. The Court held that the primary judge mischaracterised RS’s proposed defence, overlooked relevant similarities and failed to give proper significance to earlier prosecutorial disclosure. Leave to appeal was granted, the appeal allowed, the Commissioner’s motion dismissed and production ordered.

R v Lui (Sentence Judgment) [2026] NSWSC 965 concerns Pei Lui’s sentence for the manslaughter of Tao Cheng following a prolonged, fatal assault in a Sydney CBD stairwell. After a jury acquitted Lui of murder, the key issue was whether the Court could find beyond reasonable doubt that he alone inflicted the violence without contradicting that verdict. McNaughton J held it could: intoxication left open reasonable doubt about murderous intent. The attack was extremely serious, random and vicious, although Lui’s profound childhood disadvantage reduced his moral culpability. After a 25% discount for an early manslaughter plea offer, he received 10 years and 6 months, with a 7-year non-parole period.

R v Graham [2026] NSWSC 1017 concerns Jo-Ann Graham’s killing of her friend Diedre Anne Folpp by repeated stabbing in October 2023. In a hearing under s 31 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 (NSW), the central issue was whether Graham’s acute psychosis meant she was not criminally responsible, despite possible contributions from substance use. Lonergan J found that she had schizophrenia with substance use disorder, that her impairment was not caused solely by drugs or intoxication, and that she could not reason about the act’s wrongfulness. The Court entered a special verdict of “act proven but not criminally responsible” and ordered her detention.

SafeWork NSW v SMB Car Transport Employment Pty Ltd; SafeWork NSW v SMB Australia Car Transport Pty Ltd; SafeWork NSW v Mytkowski (No. 2) [2026] NSWDC 308 concerns sentencing related companies and their director for WHS offences after a damaged 800-kilogram gate fell on an employee, causing serious permanent injuries. The key issue was each offender’s culpability, including whether the employment company bore less responsibility because another company controlled the premises and gates. The Court held the duties were concurrent and non-transferable, assessed the offending as mid-range, and rejected reduced-capacity-to-pay and section 10 arguments. Each company was convicted and fined $180,000; Mytkowski was convicted and fined $15,000 and $45,000.

SafeWork NSW v ANJ Container Services & Bond Stores Pty Ltd (No. 2) [2026] NSWDC 307. Following conviction, the Court sentenced ANJ for exposing Darren Spinks to a risk of death or serious injury under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, after he was fatally struck by a reversing reach stacker. The key issue was the seriousness of ANJ’s breach, including whether a worker’s momentary driving error reduced the company’s responsibility for systemic safety failures. The Court found high culpability and fined ANJ $800,000, with half payable to SafeWork. ANJ generally had to pay the prosecutor’s costs, but SafeWork had to pay costs caused by its subpoena non-compliance.

R v Delaney [2026] NSWSC 1003 concerned a s 31 hearing after the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed Lucas Delaney’s murder conviction. The Court found that Delaney killed his sister, Gabriella, by repeatedly striking her with a hammer. The key issue was whether his mental health impairment was excluded because drug ingestion triggered his psychosis. Dhanji J accepted that Delaney suffered from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and did not know his act was wrong. As an underlying psychotic illness was also causally operative, intoxication was not the sole cause. The Court returned a special verdict of act proven but not criminally responsible, ordered detention and referred Delaney to the Mental Health Review Tribunal.

R v Hartcher [2026] NSWDC 306. Mahony SC DCJ sentenced Hartcher for three online child-procurement offences and eight child abuse material offences, with two further offences taken into account. The central issue was the appropriate aggregate sentence, balancing the high seriousness of the persistent, sexually motivated offending against Hartcher’s acquired brain injury, cognitive decline, advanced age, early guilty pleas and rehabilitation. The Court found the impairment somewhat reduced moral culpability and deterrent weight but did not excuse the prolonged conduct. After a 25% plea discount and application of totality, Hartcher received six years and six months’ imprisonment, with a three-year non-parole period. Forfeiture and registration orders followed.

R v Randall [2026] NSWDC 305 concerns sentencing for aggravated break and enter, taking and driving a conveyance without consent, and a referred offence of driving while disqualified. Randall entered a 90-year-old man’s home at night while he slept, stole personal and sentimental property, and drove away in his Lexus. The key issue was balancing the mid-range seriousness of the offences and community protection against Randall’s early guilty pleas, profound childhood deprivation, trauma, addiction, mental health, remorse and rehabilitation efforts. After a 25% plea discount, substantial concurrency, and allowances for custody and rehabilitation, the Court imposed five years’ imprisonment with a three-year non-parole period.