Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Casper (a pseudonym) [2026] NSWSC 969

Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Casper (a pseudonym) [2026] NSWSC 969 concerned sentencing for criminal contempt after Casper pleaded guilty to wilfully refusing to testify in an attempted murder trial despite a subpoena and repeated warnings. The key issue was whether immediate imprisonment was required, although the refusal was not shown to have significantly affected the trial outcome. Sirtes J found the three-day refusal serious, any fear from a threat peripheral, and loyalty to the accused the predominant motive. An eight-month term was reduced by 25% for the early guilty plea to six months. A suspended sentence was refused and no costs order was made.