Mulford v R - [2025] 3 NZLR 641

Criminal law — Sentencing — Manslaughter — Whether starting point within range — Extremity of violence, not precise mechanism of violence, matters for sentencing — Comparator cases.

Criminal law — Sentencing — Manslaughter — Aggravating features — Relevance of offending for which offender has been convicted and discharged — Whether less serious offence of injuring with intent to injure directly and intimately connected with more serious offence of manslaughter — Sentencing Act 2002 s 18.

Criminal law — Sentencing — Manslaughter — Discount on account of youth — Discounts for youth may be tempered by seriousness of offending.

Criminal law — Sentencing — Manslaughter — Further discount on account of background factors — Discount on account of mental health issues — Whether discount available for cannabis use where no causal or contributory nexus between addiction and offending.

Criminal law — Sentencing — Appeals — Manslaughter — Whether sentence manifestly excessive — Criminal Procedure Act s 250(2).