A sentencing judge is not required to give significant weight to expert evidence linking autism spectrum disorder to offending where the offender demonstrated awareness that their actions were wrong by threatening complainants not to disclose. A lack of empathy for the victim, even if attributable to a mental condition, will rarely reduce moral culpability where the offender is aware of the wrongfulness of their conduct and takes steps to conceal it. The weight to be given to expert psychological evidence in sentencing remains within the sentencing judge's discretion, even where the evidence is unchallenged.
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