8 Dec 1998
The appeal was allowed and the sentence reduced from 18 months to 9 months because a recognisable practice had developed treating transit cases as mitigating, producing a norm of about 6–9 months, and the magistrate had not expressly addressed the transit factor when imposing the 18 month sentence; the court substituted an appropriate sentence within that range.
21 Jun 1995
No special circumstances existed; the magistrate properly considered the appellant's circumstances and the sentences of six months and three months respectively fall within the normal sentencing tariff and are not excessive; appeal dismissed.
17 May 1991
The sentence of 18 months was excessive for a one-off transit offence by a 22-year-old with no previous convictions who possessed a valid Pakistani passport and used the forged document on a single occasion; precedents establishing 18 months related to more serious and repeated conduct, and therefore the appropriate sentence for this least serious category is reduced to nine months imprisonment.