香港特別行政區 訴 黎洛雯

Read the full judgment text of CACC 20/2014 on BabelCite. This Court of Appeal judgment was delivered on 15 May 2014 before 楊振權, 潘兆初, 彭偉昌.

Criminal law – dangerous drugs – possession of methamphetamine hydrochloride ('ice') – 11.53 grams net weight – sentencing – starting point – risk uplift for potential trafficking – guilty plea discount – appeal against sentence – Court of Appeal – Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap 134) s.4. Applicant intercepted by police at 1:35 AM on 3 April 2013 in Belcher's Street, Sai Wan, with 11.53g of 'ice' in her handbag; she admitted purchase for personal use. Charged with trafficking contrary to Cap 134 s.4; jury acquitted of trafficking and convicted of possession. Applicant was 29, with no criminal record, employed as a waitress, and assessed as unsuitable for drug rehabilitation. Trial judge adopted 21-month starting point, uplifted to 30 months for trafficking risk, and after one-third guilty plea discount sentenced applicant to 20 months' imprisonment. Whether sentencing starting point and risk uplift were manifestly excessive. Reaffirming HKSAR v Mok Cho Tik CACC 165/2000 ([2001] 1 HKC 261), the Court of Appeal held that the proper starting point for possession of a quantity a bona fide user would normally possess in the District or High Court is 12 to 18 months, and that the risk uplift is not a matter of mathematics but depends on factors including employment, access by others, prior trafficking convictions, and drug quantity. The risk uplift is particularly relevant where the quantity is substantial enough to have lasted a considerable time, increasing the risk of others' participation in consumption, as recognised in HKSAR v Jarhia Kuldeep Singh CACC 96/2006 and Attorney General v Ching Kwok-hung [1991] 2 HKLR 125. The cases relied on by the applicant (HKSAR v Chew Sik Pok CACC 502/1998 and HKSAR v Wan Sheung Sum [2000] 1 HKLRD 405) involved lower risk profiles and did not address the long-term consumption risk. Having regard to the applicant's clean record, steady employment, and circumstances of arrest, the starting point of 21 months was too high and should be reduced to 15 months; the 9-month risk uplift was appropriate given the substantial quantity. Total of 24 months reduced by one-third for guilty plea gave 16 months. Leave to appeal granted and treated as substantive appeal; appeal allowed; original 20-month sentence quashed and substituted with 16 months' imprisonment.

Legal issues: Excessiveness of sentencing starting point and risk uplift for possession of dangerous drugs

Outcome: Leave to appeal granted and treated as substantive appeal; appeal allowed. Original sentence of 20 months quashed and substituted with 16 months' imprisonment.

Cited by 5 cases · Cites 5 cases

Case No.CACC 20/2014
Court
Court of Appeal
Date15 May 2014
Judge楊振權, 潘兆初, 彭偉昌
Case Document
100%Judiciary

CACC 20/2014

香港特別行政區

高等法院上訴法庭

刑事司法管轄權

刑罰上訴許可申請

案件編號:刑事上訴案件2014年第20號

(原高等法院刑事案件2013年第313號)

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  香港特別行政區  
   
申請人 黎洛雯 (LAI LOK MAN)
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主審法官: 高等法院署理首席法官楊振權
  高等法院原訟法庭法官潘兆初
  高等法院原訟法庭法官彭偉昌
聆訊日期: 2014年5月9日
判案日期: 2014年5月9日
判案理由書日期: 2014年5月15日

高等法院原訟法庭法官彭偉昌頒發上訴法庭判案理由書:

1.本案源自高等法院原訟法庭。申請人被控「販運危險藥物」,違反香港法例第134章《危險藥物條例》第4條。她否認控罪,但承認「管有危險藥物」。審訊後,陪審團裁定她「販運」罪無罪,「管有」罪成立。原審法官(邱智立暫委法官)判其入獄20 個月。申請人不服,就判刑提出上訴許可申請。

案情

2.2013年4月3日凌晨1點35分,警員在西環卑路乍街167 號外截查申請人,發現她的皮袋內有由白色紙巾包裹著的透明可再封口膠袋一個,裡面是11.53 克甲基苯丙胺鹽酸鹽(“冰”)[1]。申請人在警誡下表示,冰是剛購自別人的,她會自用。

申請人背景及輕判請求

3.原審法官指出:

「 被告人沒有刑事紀錄。

判刑前本席提取了被告人的戒毒所報告。報告指被告人已不再是癮君子,因此不適宜進入戒毒所戒毒。

被告人今年29歲,在國際學校受教育至第十一級程度,曾任職運輸工人、女侍應、保安員及文員等工作,未婚,與家人同住,案發時她在一間日本餐廳任職女侍應,月薪10,000 元。

代表被告人的大律師指出,被告人是因為誤交損友才染上毒癮,經過今次教訓之後,她已決心不再沾染毒品。大律師提交了被告人、被告人的父母及被告人的姊姊的求情信。被告人在信中指自己已很後悔及決心改過,不再重犯,希望法庭予以輕判,使她能早日回家照顧父母,以盡孝心。父母在信中指,因為他們太溺愛被告人,以致縱壞了她,這事發生之後,他們與被告人的關係改善了及被告人已感到非常後悔和決心改過。姊姊在信中指,被告人是一個愛幫助別人和本性不壞的人,現在已為自己的過錯作出反省。父母及姊姊都希望法庭給予被告人一個機會。

…」

原審量刑

4.原審法官繼稱:

「 在HKSAR v Mok Cho Tik CACC 165/2000一案中,上訴法庭指出,就一個真正吸毒者管有吸毒的人一般所管有的份量的毒品而言,量刑起點一般是12至18個月監禁。在本案中,『冰』的份量為11.53克,因此不能算是一個小的份量,亦也比一般吸毒者所管有的毒品份量為多。在此情況下,有一個很大的風險就是這些『冰』會落在其他人的手中,法庭在判刑的時候,一定要考慮這一點。基於被告人不適宜進入戒毒所,本案唯一正確的判刑就是即時入獄。

被告人在最初的時候已經承認『冰』是屬於她的,及用作自己吸食。在審訊的時候,被告人第一時間承認管有案中的毒品。在考慮了案中的所有情況之後,法庭採納1年9 個月監禁作為量刑基準。如剛才所指出,這些『冰』的份量不算少,有很大的內在潛在性會落入其他人的手中,在這基礎上,本席將量刑基準調高為兩年半監禁。

在性質這樣嚴重的控罪中,被告人沒有刑事紀錄並不能作為一個有效的求情理由,因此被告人唯一有效的求情理由就是她坦白承認控罪。在給予被告人這方面的刑期寬減後,本席判處被告人入獄1年8個月。」

上訴理由

5.申請人認為,1年9個月的量刑基準,以及因潛在風險而上調的9 個月,皆明顯過高;經兩者合計並除以認罪扣減後的1 年8 個月,因此亦明顯過重。

6.申請人援引了兩宗案例。第一宗是HKSAR v Chew Sik Pok CACC 502/1998。該案被告年齡不詳,有八次「管有」前科,無「販運」紀錄,被捕時有正當職業。就涉案的24.12 克冰,上訴法庭認為應以18 個月作量刑基準,因潛在風險而作出的上調則為6 個月。

7.另外一宗是HKSAR v Wan Sheung Sum [2000] 1 HKLRD 405。該案被告有四次「管有」前科,其他資料不詳。就涉案的其中34.33 克海洛英而言,上訴法庭認為應以16 個月作量刑起點,並因其潛在風險而上調6個月。

討論

8.原審法官提到的Mok Cho Tik案,涉及15.724 克冰,18 個月被視為正確的量刑基準。上訴法庭在該案重申[2],分量高至最終由區域或高等法院科刑的「管有」案件,若然必須判囚,刑期一般應以12至18 個月為起點,在裁判法院則可因應情況適量減輕:

“… We remain of the view that the starting point for mere possession of a quantity of dangerous drugs which a bona fide user would normally have in his possession should be in the range of 12 to 18 months, (and that is the range that has been adopted particularly for cases in the District and High Court). But that is not the be all and end all of the appropriate starting point. It assumes cases in which a sentence of imprisonment rather than a rehabilitative measure is deemed necessary; and it does not seek to exclude magistrates from imposing lesser terms for very small quantities where the circumstances so warrant ...”

9.上訴法庭也指出[3],衡量潛在風險,難以以數學計算,它取決於多重因素,例如是被告的就業情況、他是否有「販運」前科、毒品容易落入別人手中與否、以及毒品數量這個最理所當然的指標:

“… The existence of the risk factor and the degree of risk is not a matter of mathematics upon which this court should provide a tariff. Amongst the obvious factors to be taken into account are whether the offender is in employment; whether the drugs are kept in a place to which others have access; whether the offender has convictions for trafficking; and of course the quantity of drugs. The full circumstances of the risk must be assessed.”

10.實例方面,答辯人提醒本庭,Mok Cho Tik案本身的刑期,就因潛在風險而上調了12 個月,原因是被告有結伴吸毒的習慣。

11.此外,6.82克的冰,在HKSAR v Jarhia Kuldeep Singh CACC 96/2006一案,雖然只換來了15 個月的基本刑期,但上調的幅度卻高達一年,原因是毒品的數量不少,可供長時間吸食,亦即增加了販運的風險:

“9. … in Attorney General v Ching Kwok-hung [1991] 2 HKLR 125 at 128-129 … the rate of consumption of ‘ice’ is discussed in some detail. It is plain that this quantity [6.82 grammes] would have lasted a considerable time and represented far more than a two or three-day supply subject to the high probability, at that rate, of others participating in its consumption.”

12.至於Chew Sik PokWan Sheung Sum 兩案,上訴法庭指它們的潛在風險偏低,理由大多與剛提到的因素有關,卻未有認真討論涉案毒品數量可供長期吸食的問題,然而這正正是本案原審法官賦之以相當比重的考慮。

13.總括而言,申請人在職,沒有任何刑事定罪紀錄,被捕時剛購得涉案毒品兼在士美菲路的家附近。基於這個情況,再綜合各有關案例,本庭認為,原審的量刑基準確實過高,應改為15 個月,因潛在風險所加增的9 個月則無問題。兩者雙加之後再予以三分一的扣減,便為16 個月。

判決

14.本庭批准申請人的申請,並視之為正式的上訴,兼判其得直。20 個月的原有刑期撤銷,改判16個月。

(楊振權) (潘兆初) (彭偉昌)
高等法院 高等法院 高等法院
署理首席法官 原訟法庭法官 原訟法庭法官

答辯人: 由律政司助理刑事檢控專員萬德豪代表香港特別行政區。

申請人: 由法律援助署委派王寶榮大律師代表。



[1]  除非另有說明,本判詞提到的所有分量皆以淨含毒量計算。

[2]  [2001] 1 HKC 261,267頁B至D。

[3]  [2001] 1 HKC 261,267頁D至F。