A sentence of 14 months' immediate imprisonment for unlawful wounding involving eight knife wounds (seven penetrating) inflicted on a 16-year-old complainant was within the available sentencing range, notwithstanding the offender's plea of guilty, absence of prior serious convictions, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The objective seriousness of the offence and general deterrence may outweigh mitigating personal circumstances so as to preclude suspension of imprisonment. Post-traumatic stress disorder that predisposes an offender to impulsive or aggressive reactions may offset its mitigating effect on moral culpability by increasing the risk of re-offending.
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