An offender's written offers to plead guilty to charges of which he is ultimately convicted are a relevant mitigating factor even where the offers were conditional and unaccepted, but the weight of such offers depends on the offender's subsequent conduct — where the offender pleads not guilty, makes no admissions, and contests the trial, the mitigatory value is significantly reduced. Where a serious violent offence declaration is discretionary, the sentencing court is not constrained to sentence at the lower end of the appropriate range merely because a declaration is made.
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