For prolonged, brutal assaults involving weapons, restraint, life-threatening injuries, commission in company, and offenders with substantial prior histories, a serious violent offence declaration is virtually compelled. Six years' imprisonment with a declaration for grievous bodily harm of this gravity is moderate and should not be treated as a ceiling. The statutory maximum of 14 years must not be overlooked through undue concentration on case comparisons. The absence of intent does not cap the sentencing range where circumstances are sufficiently serious.
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