Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions

As a Federal Prosecutor, Brenton assessed comprehensive briefs of evidence from various Commonwealth agencies including:

Australian Federal Police
WA Police Force (for Commonwealth offences)
Department of Home Affairs (Australian Border Force)
Department of Human Services (now Services Australia)
Australian Taxation Office
Australian Electoral Commission

and recommended what charges should be instigated and whether the prosecution should be run summarily (in the Magistrate’s Court) or on indictment (in a superior Court), in accordance with the Prosecution Policy of the Commonwealth.

He worked in the following Practice Groups:

Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism & Illegal Imports and Exports; and
Revenue Benefits Fraud & Commercial Financial Corruption.

He appeared at mentions, bail applications, trials, and sentencing hearings in the Magistrate’s Court, sentencing hearings in the District Court and instructed counsel in lengthy trials in the District and Supreme Courts and in appeals.

Drug Offences

Brenton worked on multiple large-scale drug importation prosecutions including:

R v Law & Ors (Operation Shenzi involving importation of 182kg of methamphetamine by 7 Chinese nationals);
R v Stipkovich and Scale (involving a postage concealed importation of 7.5kg of methamphetamine);
R v Smith (involving an attempted importation of a marketable quantity of methamphetamine);
R v De Chatelperron (involving an importation of 2.1L of GBL); and
R v Griffiths (involving an importation of 24 x marketable quantity of carfentanyl)

Brenton worked on multiple prosecutions involving firearm offences including:

R v Manuel (involving cross-border firearms trafficking of 87 handguns (65 were semi-automatic))
R v Day (involving attempted importation of multiple firearms (5 pistols) and ammunition)
R v Blackeney (involving importation of a replica firearm)

Firearm Offences

Money Laundering

Brenton worked on numerous matters that involved money laundering.

He secured conviction-based forfeiture over more than $200,000 worth of Australian, foreign and cryptocurrency whilst employed at the Commonwealth DPP.

Fraud Offences

Brenton worked on numerous taxation, social security and general fraud matters. The matters involved defrauded amounts ranging from $7,000 (social security fraud) to $2,000,000 (taxation fraud).

Telecommunications Offences

Brenton had carriage of a number of matters that involved offence(s) of using a carriage service to:

menace, harass or cause offence;
to make a hoax threat or threat; or
for child abuse material.