The Court of Appeal held that a sentence of three months actual imprisonment followed by 12 months probation for dangerous driving with a circumstance of aggravation (BAC of 0.163%) involving a police pursuit was not manifestly excessive, even for an 18-year-old first-time offender with good prospects of rehabilitation. The Court affirmed the principle from R v Coake that deterrent sentences, usually including imprisonment, are necessary for dangerous driving in police chase situations while heavily intoxicated, and found the sentencing judge appropriately balanced deterrence and rehabilitation by imposing a short custodial term with probation rather than a longer suspended sentence.
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