PTSD arising from military service is not, as a matter of course, a mitigating factor in sentencing in Queensland. What must be reflected in the sentence is the relevance of the condition to the offender's culpability for the offending, the need for deterrence, and prospects of rehabilitation. Where PTSD has led to substance abuse which is linked to the offending, the sentencing judge must identify that link and take it into account in assessing culpability and deterrence. Failure to do so constitutes sentencing error.
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