A late plea of guilty does not necessarily require a lesser sentence than a co-accused convicted after trial where the pleading offender was the dominant actor and other distinguishing factors justify the disparity. A non-parole period of approximately 85% of the head sentence does not bespeak error for sentences exceeding 20 years. Non-publication orders under the Open Courts Act 2013 must meet the standard of 'necessity', which is not satisfied merely because an offender has been placed in protection.
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