Key legal question
Whether the cantonal court misapplied Art. 42/43 SCC by replacing part of a suspended prison term with an unconditional fine
Extracted holding
Yes. For a prison sentence of up to two years, a partially suspended sentence is exceptional; a combined penalty under Art. 42(4) SCC may not give the linking fine disproportionate weight.
Extracted reasoning
In the overlapping range of Arts. 42 and 43 SCC, fully suspended punishment is the rule unless partial execution is necessary for special-preventive reasons. Art. 42(4) SCC allows only a subordinate linking fine or bus, not a de facto sentence increase or substitution of a substantial part of the prison term.