A finding of exceptional circumstances regarding the impact of imprisonment on an offender's child does not necessarily justify a wholly suspended sentence for serious social security fraud involving breach of trust. While such a finding may justify avoiding full-time custody, some form of actual imprisonment (such as periodic detention) must ordinarily be imposed to reflect the objective seriousness of the offence and the need for general deterrence. The care of a child by a mother will not generally be regarded as an exceptional circumstance; what was exceptional here was the child's severe behavioural and psychological problems requiring the mother's active participation in treatment.
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