Four out of every five convicted robbers were sentenced to less than five years in prison, according to a new report on sentencing issued today.
The report shows almost half of those imprisoned were sentenced to three years or less, another 30% were sentenced to between three and five years, while one in ten were given up to ten years in prison.
The report also shows that the offence of so called "tiger kidnappings" attracts higher sentences where victims are severely traumatised and large amounts of cash stolen.
The factors considered by the courts when sentencing, the report says, include the level of violence, the personal circumstances of the accused, remorse, the impact on the victim, a guilty plea and whether or not stolen property has been recovered.
The report found that the sentences imposed in the last three years vary from suspended sentence for the most minor offences to up to 12 years for traumatic and serious offences.
The report also states that it appears the sentencing in robbery has been relatively consistent and has taken into account factors relevant to each case.
Similar cases tend to have similar sentences and similar aggravating and mitigating factors serve to effect sentence.
The report was compiled by the Judicial Researchers' Office.
