A sentencing judge satisfies the requirements of ss 6(4) and 39(3) of the Sentencing Act 1995 (WA) by first determining that only imprisonment is justified, then separately considering and expressly rejecting suspended imprisonment after revisiting all relevant circumstances. The critical requirement is that both steps be properly considered, not the precise sequence in which they are addressed. A sentence of 20 months' immediate imprisonment for aggravated robbery involving a prolonged group attack on defenceless strangers is within range, even for a young first offender who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
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