A total effective sentence of 10 years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 7 years 6 months was upheld for conspiracy to defraud involving fraudulent loan applications totalling approximately $59 million, where the offender was a principal in the offending and a qualified accountant who used his professional practice to facilitate the fraud. The case confirms that comparable sentencing cases are not precedents and do not establish upper or lower limits for the sentencing discretion. Cooperation with authorities and early guilty pleas may warrant very substantial moderation in sentence, justifying significant disparity between co-offenders.
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