Examples of consecutive custodial sentences include:
- when sentencing for similar offence types or offences of a similar level of severity the court can consider:
- whether all of the offences can be proportionately reduced (with particular reference to the category ranges within sentencing guidelines) and passed consecutively
- whether, despite their similarity, a most serious principal offence can be identified and the other sentences can all be proportionately reduced (with particular reference to the category ranges within sentencing guidelines) and passed consecutively in order that the sentence for the lead offence can be clearly identified
- when sentencing for two or more offences of differing levels of seriousness the court can consider:
- whether some offences are of such low seriousness in the context of the most serious offence(s) that they can be recorded as ‘no separate penalty’ (for example technical breaches or minor driving offences not involving mandatory disqualification)
- whether some of the offences are of lesser seriousness and are unrelated to the most serious offence(s), that they can be ordered to run concurrently so that the sentence for the most serious offence(s) can be clearly identified