Alarming features of an attempted murder sees appeal against severity of sentence dismissed

Criminal Law – court previously dismissed appellant’s appeal against conviction – this is the appeal against severity of sentence – appellant was tried in the Central Criminal Court in March 2014 – arraigned and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder of his wife – appellant found guilty by the jury in a unanimous verdict – sentence of fifteen years was imposed – whether the sentencing judge erred in relying on authorities cited to him without sufficiently distinguishing those cases from the facts of this case – whether the sentencing judge erred in principle in imposing a sentence which failed to reflect the cooperation and admissions – whether the sentencing judge failed to impose a sentence which reflected the appellant’s personal circumstances – whether sentencing judge erred in saying that the fact that Belousova was the most helpful case, given that the attempted murder in that case had occurred in the course of a robbery – whether sentencing judge erred in failing to consider the fluctuating nature of the appellant’s intention – whether sentencing judge should have taken into account elements akin to provocation – sentencing judge did not mention what the headline sentence might have been – in view of the seriousness of the crime, no error in principle in the ultimate sentence of 15 years post-mitigation – appeal dismissed.