The parity principle does not require a court to reduce an offender's sentence to match or maintain proportionality with a co-offender's sentence that was unjustifiably lenient. Where a co-offender's sentence is below the appropriate range due to material errors in the sentencing judge's assessment, that sentence is not a proper basis for comparison. A sentence of 2½ years' imprisonment for supplying 966g of MDMA at 23% purity, with a 50% discount for cooperation, was at the very low end of the range but not manifestly excessive.
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