A fast-track guilty plea warrants a discount of at least 25% even where the offender was caught red-handed, as the rationale for the discount is cooperation with the justice system rather than the strength of the Crown case. In serious drug importation cases where the offender provides substantial cooperation including participation in controlled deliveries and undertakings to give evidence, total discounts of up to 50% from the starting point are warranted. A total discount of only 32% where the fast-track plea alone warranted 25% constitutes an error in sentencing principle where the cooperation was valuable and instrumental.
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