1When assessing whether proper grounds exist to excuse a breach of a suspended sentence bond, the court considers the nature and extent of the breach, the circumstances in which it was committed, and proportionality between the breach and the severity of revoking the suspension; a history of non-compliance with court orders and recent release from custody are matters that may properly weigh against excusing the breach.
2A sentence that might appear excessive when viewed in the abstract may nonetheless fall within the available range when assessed in the context of the offender's history of non-compliance with court orders and the totality of the circumstances, including that the offending occurred while subject to a suspended sentence bond.
3Sentencing remarks in the Magistrates Court, particularly when delivered ex tempore, are not to be analysed with a hyper-critical eye; the real question is whether the remarks as a whole enable the appellate court to ascertain the reasoning and carry out its review function.
