An unprovoked, cowardly attack in company involving stomping on a victim's head causing life-threatening injury is a serious example of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm, well above the middle of the range of objective seriousness, warranting a starting point of 7 years imprisonment (maximum 10 years). Where an offender does not give evidence at sentencing, the sentencing judge is entitled to be cautious in accepting expressions of remorse.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 2 later cases that cite this judgment.