COMPETING appeals against the conviction and sentence handed to well-known Newcastle sailor and musician Craig Lembke for his role in importing 700 kilograms of cocaine into Lake Macquarie could be heard on the same day in the Court of Criminal Appeal in October.
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The Newcastle Herald revealed earlier this month that the Commonwealth DPP had launched an appeal against Lembke's maximum nine-year jail term, labelling it "manifestly inadequate" and claiming Judge Jonathan Priestley, SC, had failed in the fact-finding task that ultimately determined the length of Lembke's sentence.
The Commonwealth DPP's inadequacy appeal was mentioned in the Court of Criminal Appeal on Thursday and set down for a hearing on October 12.
Lembke's defence, led by solicitor Mark Ramsland, have lodged a notice of intention to appeal against the conviction. The appeal itself does not have to be filed until late October and the conviction appeal could be heard on the same date in the CCA.
