The Court imposed an aggregate sentence of 3 years' imprisonment to be served in the community via an Intensive Corrections Order on a young offender (17 at the time of offending) involved in a 'dial-a-dealer' cocaine supply network, possessing firearms, and dealing with proceeds of crime. The Court assessed the offender's role as at the bottom of the criminal hierarchy and the objective seriousness as low, giving significant weight to his youth, deprived childhood under Bugmy principles, mental health issues, and nearly 2 years of onerous bail conditions treated as quasi-custody. The Court held that full-time custody would significantly reduce the offender's guarded prospects of rehabilitation and that community safety — the paramount consideration for an ICO — was better served by supervised community-based treatment.
The full text is available to signed-in members.