A Longman direction does not require any particular form of words; what is required is an explanation of the danger, how it arises, and the lending of judicial emphasis to the need for particular scrutiny. Evidence of uncharged acts of violence is admissible as relationship evidence where it explains otherwise inexplicable charged conduct, and need not fall within a specific previously recognised category. In sentencing for intra-familial sexual abuse, the absence of sexual motivation does not diminish the gravity of the offence, and favourable antecedents are necessarily limited in their significance.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 3 later cases that cite this judgment.