A sentence of 9 years' imprisonment for intentionally causing serious injury by stabbing a five-year-old child 25 times with a knife is not manifestly excessive, even where the offender is a youthful first offender with severe cerebral palsy making imprisonment significantly more onerous. The brutality of the attack on a defenceless young child, the use of a potentially lethal weapon, and the relevance of specific deterrence and community protection justified the sentence within the available range.
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