A total effective sentence of 6 years and 6 months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 4 years and 3 months for multiple charges of sexual penetration of a child under 16 (standard sentence 6 years) was upheld on Crown appeal, notwithstanding that individual sentences were significantly below the standard sentence, where there were significant mitigating factors including early plea, genuine remorse, good rehabilitation prospects, special hardship in prison, and loss of career and reputation. The case illustrates the breadth of the sentencing discretion and the difficulty of establishing manifest inadequacy even where sentences appear lenient.
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