An 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, for an offence of robbery could not be considered as unduly lenient in that it balanced the interests of the offender with those of society by posing a real threat of imprisonment should the offender re-offend whilst at the same time allowing him to improve his own welfare.

CA (Crim Div) (Lord Bingham of Cornhill LCJ, Alliott J, Steel J)

06/07/1999