Where an offender pleads guilty to a lesser offence at the first opportunity the Crown offers that plea, the discount for the plea of guilty should reflect that it was entered at the earliest reasonable opportunity, even if the plea was not entered at the very first court appearance. A factual error about when a plea was entered may constitute appealable error. Conditions of incarceration that are harsher than normal, including assault by prison officers and extreme high risk classification, are relevant to sentencing and may justify a finding of special circumstances.
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