The weight to be given to general deterrence when sentencing a child with mental disability cannot be determined by applying only the considerations applicable to youth or only those applicable to mental disability — both must be considered together. The 'acting as an adult' qualification from R v Bus does not apply to a child aged 13 years 9 months with significant intellectual disability whose offending was a direct result of mental deficiencies. For such an offender, general deterrence may have no role to play and the limiting terms should look principally to rehabilitation.
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