In sentencing for conspiracy to manufacture drugs, the offender's intention and knowledge of the enterprise is generally of greater importance than the actual quantity of drug that could have been produced. Where offenders have denied involvement, the court is not required to draw mitigating inferences (such as manufacture for personal use) unsupported by evidence. Incompetence or amateurishness in the commission of an offence is not automatically mitigating and must be assessed on its own facts. A starting point of approximately 15 years applies for principals in major commercial methylamphetamine manufacturing enterprises in Western Australia.
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