A combined discount of approximately 40% for an early guilty plea and substantial past co-operation with law enforcement is within the range of a sound exercise of the sentencing discretion for importation of a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, particularly where separate allowance has been made for other mitigating factors including contrition and remorse. The inter-connectedness of sentencing considerations for plea, co-operation and contrition justifiably results in a slightly lower combined discount where contrition has been separately accounted for. Sentencing for courier importation of commercial quantities of border controlled drugs tends to approach double figures (10 years' imprisonment) before discounts, with head sentences hovering between 8 and 10 years being common.
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