Accumulation of sentences must be achieved by deferring the commencement date of one sentence upon another, not by increasing individual sentences to reflect totality — the latter contravenes Pearce v The Queen. Where offences involve different drug quantities, the starting points for sentences must reflect the different levels of criminality. The standard non-parole period regime requires objective seriousness to be determined first, with the sentence then guided by that assessment — not the reverse. Where a sworn affidavit is tendered at a sentencing hearing without Crown objection or challenge, the sentencing judge need not apply the caution applicable to unverified self-serving statements made to psychologists.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 7 later cases that cite this judgment.