The appellant, Abdulaziz Al-Enzi, appealed his conviction for aggravated assault and his 30-month sentence, which arose from a jailhouse altercation.
The appeal challenged the trial judge's decision to proactively invite submissions and grant a defence motion to reopen the case after noticing discrepancies in video evidence during judgment preparation.
The Court of Appeal dismissed both the conviction and sentence appeals.
The court affirmed the trial judge's judicial exercise of discretion in reopening the trial, finding it was done in the interest of fairness and consistent with the Hayward test.
The court also found the sentence fit, citing serious aggravating factors including the assault's occurrence in a correctional facility, the use of a concealed weapon, and the complainant's permanent injuries.
