GBU v. The King

Lower Court Judgment

21/10/2025 Supreme Court of Queensland (Court of Appeal) (Bowskill CJ; Mullins P; Brown JA)

[2025] QCA 196 

Catchwords

Criminal law – sentence – where the appellant killed his wife while suffering psychosis induced by sustained drug abuse – where liability for charged offence of murder not available after Mental Health Court found diminished responsibility – where the appellant pleaded guilty to manslaughter – where the appellant was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment after no mitigation for diminished responsibility – whether a decision of the Mental Health Court finding diminished responsibility must inform the exercise of sentencing discretion by the Supreme Court of Queensland and a subsequent assessment of that discretion by the Court of Appeal