A planned, unprovoked, drug and alcohol-fuelled two-on-one attack causing serious injuries including multiple fractures and a collapsed lung is a particularly bad example of recklessly causing serious injury, distinguishable from reactive violence cases. Sentences of 5-6 years' imprisonment for such offending are within the available range notwithstanding current sentencing statistics showing few sentences at that level. Current sentencing practice is only one of a number of factors to be considered in assessing manifest excess.
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