In Forte v Commissioner of Police [2024] QDC 172, the appellant, Jackson Roy Forte, challenged a sentence from the Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to stealing and received a one-month imprisonment wholly suspended for six months. Forte argued that the sentence was excessive, given the low-level nature of the offense and its circumstances. He also contended that the Magistrate had not adequately considered imprisonment as a last resort. The District Court, presided over by Prskalo KC DCJ, found that the original sentence was disproportionate to the gravity of the offense, especially considering Forte’s compliance with previous community-based orders and the time elapsed since his last offense. As a result, the appeal was allowed, the sentence was set aside, and Forte was fined $250, payable within four months.
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