The Court held that while the offender's major depressive disorder and pathological infatuation reduced his moral culpability for murder, they did not reduce the objective seriousness of the offence, applying the DS v R framework that the critical factors are the nature of the impairment, the nature and circumstances of the offence, and the degree of connection between them. The Court found that the offender's capacity for rational deliberation and planning over a sustained period, despite his mental illness, meant the objective seriousness remained at the utmost gravity warranting the maximum penalty in principle, though life imprisonment was not imposed due to the guilty plea and mental health considerations. A 30-year sentence with a 20-year non-parole period was imposed, with the Court allowing only a moderate plea discount given the overwhelming prosecution case and emphasising that the reduction must not be disproportionate to the seriousness of the offending.
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