A proper exercise of sentencing discretion for early guilty pleas under the fast-track system requires a discount of at least 25 per cent, and the sentencing judge must state the discount in open court pursuant to s 8(4) of the Sentencing Act 1995 (WA). An aggregate sentence of 8 years for a small-scale addict-dealer with the offending profile described was disproportionate to the total criminality; 5 years was appropriate.
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