A sentence of nine years imprisonment with a serious violent offence declaration is within the sentencing range for unlawfully doing grievous bodily harm where the assault causes catastrophic permanent injury (effectively a vegetative state), the offender has an extensive history of violent offending against women, and the offence is an extreme example of domestic violence, notwithstanding that the assault was brief, involved no weapon, and the offender pleaded guilty. The catastrophic consequences for the victim may justify a sentence significantly higher than comparable cases involving objectively more serious conduct but less serious consequences.
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