The Court of Appeal (Justice Priest and Justice Santamaria) today allowed an appeal against sentence by a man found guilty at trial of four counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime ('money laundering').
Minh Phat Truong had been sentenced in the County Court to a total effective sentence of eight years and six months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of six years.
The essential conduct founding the four charges involved the appellant in assisting a drug trafficker to transfer the proceeds of the trafficking, totalling $696,500, overseas.
Having regard to a number of factors, including the appellant's previous good character, his prospects of rehabilitation, the sentence passed on a co-offender and the delay in finalising the charges, the Court of Appeal concluded that the sentence imposed in the County Court was manifestly excessive.
The Court of Appeal resentenced the appellant to a total effective sentence of six years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of four years.