Where a sentencing judge indicates a notional sentence and the period to be served but for time on remand, a wholly suspended sentence that exceeds the period the judge would have required to be served is manifestly excessive. For offences of assault occasioning bodily harm in company combined with deprivation of liberty involving premeditated group violence at remote locations, head sentences of 3-4 years imprisonment are within the permissible range even where physical injuries are relatively moderate, given the psychological terror, vulnerability of victims, and potential for escalation inherent in group violence.
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