Assessment of objective seriousness under the standard non-parole period regime (ss 54A, 54B Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999) must extend beyond the physical acts and their effects to include factors such as absence of premeditation, impulsiveness, and the offender's mental state where causally connected to the offence. A sentencing judge cannot reject uncross-examined expert evidence on the causal connection between mental impairment and offending unless the evidence is inconsistent with other accepted evidence or inherently incredible. Mental impairment that is causally connected to the offence significantly reduces the role of general deterrence.
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