Hughes v The Queen

Evidence – Admissibility – Tendency evidence – Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 97(1)(b) – Where appellant charged with 11 sexual offences against five female children aged under 16 years – Where prosecution permitted to adduce evidence of each complainant and other witnesses as tendency evidence – Where alleged tendencies identified as having sexual interest in underage girls and as using relationships to gain access to underage girls in order to engage in sexual activities with them – Whether tendency evidence required to display features of similarity with facts in issue in order to have "significant probative value" – Whether tendency evidence had "significant probative value".

Words and phrases – "modus operandi", "pattern of conduct", "probative value", "significant probative value", "tendency evidence", "underlying unity".

Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) – s 97(1)(b).