The court found that the applicant, as a first offender who pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and had already served part of his sentence, was a suitable candidate for a non-custodial sentence. The probation report supported this, recommending a community service order for the remainder of the sentence. The court emphasized that sentencing should prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration over retribution and deterrence for first offenders, especially where there are strong mitigating factors and no aggravating circumstances. The objectives of sentencing, as outlined in the Sentencing Guidelines 2023, were best served by allowing the applicant to serve the remaining two months under community service, supervised by the OCS and with professional counselling, rather than continued incarceration.