For the offence of grievous bodily harm arising from an unprovoked single-blow glassing attack by a young offender with negligible criminal history who enters an early plea, a head sentence of four and a half years' imprisonment is manifestly excessive; a head sentence of three years is appropriate, with suspension after nine months where strong mitigating factors are present. The analogy between alcoholism and drug addiction (per R v Hammond) does not apply to alcohol-fuelled violence that is not necessitated by the addiction.
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