Question juridique clé
Whether the appellate court committed a sentencing error by treating the defendant's late confession and purported excuses as aggravating or insufficiently mitigating.
Solution extraite
The assessment was within the court's discretion; the late confession and defensive conduct could be treated as showing little remorse and as delaying the proceedings.
Motifs extraits
A persistent denial may be considered lack of insight and remorse. The confession came only at the appellate hearing, nearly seven years after the proceedings began, so the court was not required to treat it as genuine remorse.