STATE OF TASMANIA v MATTHEW ALLAN WARD 20 JUNE 2024
COMMENTS ON PASSING SENTENCE ESTCOURT J
The defendant has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and I have agreed pursuant to s 385A of the Code to deal with an associated breach of bail, being charge 1 on complaint 6881 of 2023.
In short, the defendant was absent from his bail residence on 22 July 2023 during curfew hours and subsequently forged a medical certificate from the Royal Hobart Hospital by altering the time of attendance to fraudulently account for his failure to obey his bail conditions. As it was, justice was not perverted and I agree with the submission from counsel for the State that this matter is at the lower end of the scale for this particular crime.
The defendant has been in custody since 17 April 2024, which time can be taken into account in respect of these matters. I impose a single sentence. The defendant is sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, backdated to 17 April 2024, with the balance from today’s date suspended on condition that he commit no offence punishable by imprisonment for a period of 12 months.