In a judgment handed down in the sentencing of Mr Blignault, the Court considered the evidence placed before it during his trial, its weight, and the personal circumstances of the accused. Having regard to the pivotal, managerial role of the accused in an abalone poaching business, that the accused was effectively the mastermind behind the entire business, the Court sentenced the accused to twenty years imrisonment. The Court also considered the extent and geographical reach of the enterprise, the accused’s prior convictions, and the accused’s actions in establishing the business.