A guilty plea proffered in representations to the Crown prior to committal is properly characterised as an early plea, even if formal arraignment occurs later. There is no entitlement to any particular percentage discount for a guilty plea; the discount is a discretionary matter for the sentencing judge. A sentencing structure using higher individual sentences with substantial concurrency is not manifestly excessive if the total effective sentence is appropriate, and appellate courts should not restructure such sentences merely to alter the individual components while maintaining the same total.
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