Having spent time working in the legal system, I can understand that a conviction is not always a good thing. If a conviction means that you can’t get a decent job for the rest of your life, it will mean that the chances of reoffending or escalation of the crime type are far more likely. It’s a vicious cycle really. Many career paths need a clean criminal record check. The fact that he has a supporting family has has completed the community work etc is a good thing.
The downside is that there is still a victim of the crime, however whether or not the offender is convicted won’t change the outcome for the victim.
In this case, a suspended sentence with no conviction would probably be the best course of action, however it’s not possible. There aren’t many other options that will please the public and the victim in the longer term.