The ACT Court of Appeal held that the sentencing judge's reasons for imposing full-time imprisonment for sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old were adequate under s 345 of the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT), as the essential grounds were articulated through identification of relevant factors including the seriousness of the offence, the age disparity, and the offender's personal circumstances. The Court confirmed that s 345 requires articulation of the essential grounds for choosing imprisonment over alternatives, but does not require exhaustive discussion of every sentencing option, and that a suspended sentence is itself a sentence of imprisonment requiring the threshold determination that imprisonment is appropriate before suspension can be considered. The sentence of four years imprisonment suspended after 12 months was held not to be manifestly excessive on the facts.
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