DISAVOWAL
Card 018: breach of the law “same crime, same sentence” — Manslaughter of an intimate partner · Australia, New South Wales · he — 11 years, non-parole period 7 years; for the car theft 12 months, fully concurrent, she — 6 years, non-parole period 3 years 9 months, balance of term 2 years 3 months
Manslaughter of an intimate partner · Australia, New South Wales · 2009 / 2010 · he — Pleaded guilty; sentenced to custody, 11 years, non-parole period 7 years; for the car theft 12 months, fully concurrent; she — Pleaded guilty; sentenced to custody, 6 years, non-parole period 3 years 9 months, balance of term 2 years 3 months.
Both cases were heard by the Supreme Court of New South Wales. A man and a woman pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a partner who was stabbed (paras. 1, 3; paras. 1, 9).
Floyd Leslie Dowley in 2007 attacked his partner Susan Knott, 44, with a serrated knife after taking drugs and while suffering from untreated mental illness. He then stole a car and confessed. He had a troubling record with several violent offences. Sentence: 11 years in custody, with a non-parole period of 7 years; for the car theft, 12 months, fully concurrent (paras. 1, 3, 16, 42).
Jacqueline Barbara Doolan, almost 43, had been drinking with her partner Glenn Green, 49. After an argument she ran after him down the street with a kitchen knife and stabbed him once in the left side of the chest near the shoulder. The death was not intended. Sentence: 6 years, with a non-parole period of 3 years 9 months (paras. 3, 9, 22).
The court found Dowley's killing brutal and committed with a knife; his culpability was substantially reduced by his abnormal mental state. The Crown pointed out that even with medication in custody there is no certainty the risk will not return after release. For Doolan the court took into account the spontaneity of the offence, genuine remorse, early willingness to plead guilty and that it was her first time in custody (paras. 35, 37, 38; para. 18).
Details: both decisions, the law, what happened after
He
- Case: R v Floyd Leslie DOWLEY
- Citation: R v Floyd Leslie DOWLEY [2009] NSWSC 722
- Court: Supreme Court of New South Wales
- Date of decision: 2009-07-30
- Charge: Manslaughter of his partner on the ground of substantial impairment (s 23A), and taking a car, deemed larceny
- Outcome: Pleaded guilty; sentenced to custody
- Sentence: 11 years, non-parole period 7 years; for the car theft 12 months, fully concurrent
- Facts: Attacked his partner Susan Knott, 44, with a serrated knife after taking drugs and while suffering from untreated mental illness, then stole a car and confessed; the court found the killing brutal, took into account his troubling record, but also the substantial reduction in culpability from his abnormal mental state and a 15% discount for the guilty plea (paras. 1, 2, 3, 16, 35, 38, 42).
- Decision: https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/549ff0673004262463c4f2a3
She
- Case: R v DOOLAN
- Citation: R v DOOLAN [2010] NSWSC 615
- Court: Supreme Court of New South Wales
- Date of decision: 2010-06-07
- Charge: Manslaughter — unlawful and dangerous act; accepted in place of the murder charge
- Outcome: Pleaded guilty; sentenced to custody
- Sentence: 6 years, non-parole period 3 years 9 months, balance of term 2 years 3 months
- Facts: She was drunk; after an argument she ran after her partner Glenn Green, 49, with a kitchen knife and stabbed him once in the left side of the chest near the shoulder; the offence was spontaneous, the death not intended; the court took into account genuine remorse, a 20% discount for the guilty plea, good prospects of rehabilitation and her first custody (paras. 1, 3, 9, 18, 22).
- Decision: https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/54a004193004262463c93fea
Law
After
none
Machine version: /api/v1/018.json · added 2026-10-17