The statement in Nguyen v R that 'an intention to kill and premeditation are usual elements in a murder of mid range objective seriousness' means only that those features are not unusual in mid-range cases, not that their presence confines an offence to the mid-range. A premeditated murder for financial gain involving a violent attack may be assessed as above the mid-range of objective seriousness. A sentence of 36 years (NPP 27 years) for a single count of murder involving premeditation for financial gain, committed by a 28-year-old first offender who pleaded guilty, was manifestly excessive; a non-parole period of 21 years 6 months was substituted.
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