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and concealing the discharged cartridges. His case was put to Kallista Mutten, something that must have been extraordinarily painful for her. To my observation the offender sat in the dock smirking and shaking his head during Ms Mutten's evidence as if to emphasise to the jury the falsity of it, until warned about his conduct. He clearly had no regard for the distress of a woman he had once intended to marry, or for other members of Charlise's family, despite his responsibility for their pain.

99 An accused person is entitled to plead not guilty and put the Crown to proof and there can be no adverse conclusions drawn from that approach, even for the guilty. It is not, however, permissible for an accused to make false accusations against other innocent persons, or to commit perjury. The offender did both, all to protect himself from the consequences of his crime. He is not to be punished for that, but it demonstrates that he is without any shred of remorse. That is a consideration relevant to his future prospects; the absence of remorse making rehabilitation less likely.

Prospects of Rehabilitation

100 The offender's future prospects in the Court's assessment are very bleak indeed.

101 By his own account, supported to some extent by evidence of admissions to rehabilitation programmes over many years, the offender has a long-standing drug addiction which he has never managed to conquer. Unlike most addicts, the offender has had the benefit of a materially advantaged upbringing, and his family has financially supported him for decades both in his living expenses, and in gaining access to numerous rehabilitation programmes. The offender had the advantage of multiple admissions between two private hospitals or clinics for assistance with drug rehabilitation. What is likely to have been the significant sum expended on his behalf to that end has been wasted. He has made no better use of publicly available programmes, such as those provided by the well-regarded Odyssey House, having continued to use illicit drugs despite the intensive treatment given to him.

102 The criminal courts have extended opportunities to him for rehabilitation, but the offender has historically breached most of the community-based