Fleeting and momentary joint possession of drugs, where the offender had no prior knowledge of the drugs and attempted to locate them for less than one minute before being apprehended, combined with substantial mitigation and no prior imprisonment, can constitute an exceptional case warranting suspension of imprisonment for a serious drug offence. The case illustrates the outer limits of what may be considered exceptional for the purposes of departing from the general principle that immediate imprisonment is the only appropriate sentencing option for serious drug offences.
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