It also explains the distinction drawn by his Honour in the passage earlier quoted ([14]).
29 Given the Crown's acceptance of the pleas of guilty to manslaughter, the manner in which the Crown case was presented, and the sentencing judge's findings of fact, I discern no error in the characterisation of the respondents' level of criminality as serious.
30 On the facts found by his Honour, and within the constraints resulting from the pleas of guilty to manslaughter, the actions of the respondents had to be seen as the continuation, over a very short period of time, of actions commenced before either of them was aware of the presence of the knife; which of themselves could not have caused death, or serious injury; which, while they may have been unlawful, could hardly have been seen as dangerous; and which had the consequence, although not the intention, of contributing to the injury to, and death of, Mr Guinan.
31 So characterised, the criminality was, as described by his Honour, serious, but not at the top of the range of seriousness of offences of manslaughter. I would therefore reject this argument advanced by the Crown.
32 The Crown also submitted that the sentences, on their face, failed to recognise the sentencing objectives of both specific and general deterrence and of denunciation.
33 It was not argued that his Honour failed to advert to those matters: he made specific reference to them at [61]. The Crown sought, by reference to the length of the sentences, to have an inference drawn that those matters, although acknowledged, were given no, or insufficient, weight.
34 Another matter relied upon by the Crown was the finding in relation to contrition and remorse which, the Crown argued, was given undue weight. Specifically, the Crown argued that the factual dispute on the sentencing proceeding concerning the knowledge of each respondent as to the presence of the knife, and, particularly to Ms Vongsouvanh's denial, in the sentencing proceedings themselves, of any such knowledge, diminished the evidence of contrition. Neither had ever, so it was asserted, made any expression of remorse or contrition going to the "critical factor" of her knowledge of the use of the knife.
35 It is impossible to be precise as to the weight placed by his Honour on his findings of remorse and contrition. It is to be remembered that, in this context, he made specific reference to the plainly un-contrite conduct of each respondent in the immediate aftermath of the offence; his finding as to contrition was specifically related to the long period spent in custody by each respondent, together with her withdrawal from drugs, and the consequent realisation of the seriousness of her criminal actions.
36 In the light of the evidence of Ms Vongsouvanh and of Ms Namalauulu's father, and the psychiatric and psychological reports, it was plainly open to his Honour to make the finding, in each case, that he did. I see nothing in the remarks on sentence that would permit a conclusion that he gave undue emphasis to that factor.
37 In support of its general proposition that the sentences were manifestly inadequate, the Crown provided a table containing short summaries of a series of cases previously decided by this Court, and suggested that reference to those cases would establish that the sentences imposed upon the respondents were below the bottom of the range legitimately available.
38 It has long been recognised, by this Court, and frequently stated, that, of all offences, manslaughter presents some the widest ranges of factual circumstances and levels of criminality. This renders reliance on statistical data unhelpful and even dangerous. The summaries do not persuade me that these sentences were outside the range of a proper sentencing discretion.
39 The final specific matter raised by the Crown in relation to the length of the sentences was directed specifically to that imposed upon Ms Vongsouvanh. This was a submission that, having regard to her "significantly worse criminal history" than that of Ms Namalauulu, and her less promising prospects of rehabilitation, that she at least should have been subjected to a lengthier sentence.
40 I would reject this attempt to differentiate between the two respondents. His Honour paid particular attention to the question of parity between them and found that their criminality was virtually identical. Ms Vongsouvanh's criminal history was not such as to warrant the imposition on her of a lengthier sentence than on her co-offender in respect of a virtually identical crime. Nor were her prospects of rehabilitation so significantly less than those of Ms Namalauulu as to warrant differentiation in the sentence. I would reject this submission.
41 The Crown then argued that a number of other matters denoted specific error in the structure of the sentences. The first of these concerned the finding of special circumstances under s44(2) of the Sentencing Procedure Act. In particular, the Crown focussed upon the observation that each respondent was separated from her natural child. The Crown attacked this finding, arguing that undue weight was given to it; and that, in the case of Ms Vongsouvanh, it may have been doubly taken into account in both assessment of the head sentence and in relation to the question of special circumstances. Hardship to third parties, the Crown pointed out, does not justify a reduction of the sentence (or a finding of special circumstances) other than in exceptional cases: R v Edwards (1996) 90 A Crim R 510; R v White [1999] NSWCCA 60. I do not understand the reference by his Honour to the separation of the respondents from their children, in the context of his consideration of special circumstances, as being based upon hardship to the children. True it is, that at an earlier point in the remarks, when considering the subjective case advanced on behalf of Ms Vongsouvanh, his Honour noted that:
"... clearly there is an element of hardship involved for both mother and daughter as a result of their separation"