The sentencing range for driving whilst suspended under the new WA sentencing regime is 6 weeks to 4 months' imprisonment in most cases. For persistent offenders with extensive records, immediate imprisonment is appropriate and a suspended sentence requires demonstration of special circumstances, particularly where a prior suspended sentence has been breached. The failure to state in open court that a guilty plea discount was given does not automatically invalidate the sentence, but the court will examine the circumstances to determine whether a discount was in fact applied.
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