Partial admissions to police that deny the central element of the charge (here, use of a weapon) do not warrant a separate discount for 'assistance to authorities' under s 23 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, particularly where the sentencing judge has already allowed the maximum 25% discount for a plea of guilty on arraignment. Great care must be taken to avoid double-counting between plea discounts and assistance discounts. Courts sentencing for offences committed by inmates in prison must give real weight to deterrence, and the degree of concurrence ordered under s 56(3) must reflect the objective seriousness of the offence.
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