Crash verdict ‘too lenient’

By Rebecca Fraser
A SENTENCE given to a drink driver who ploughed into Dandenong West Primary School last year has been labelled inadequate by the State Director of Public Prosecutions.
Last Thursday Paul Coghlan QC told the Court of Appeal that the three-year suspended sentence given to Doveton resident Taban Gany, 32, in February was too lenient.
However, Justices Vincent, Chernov and Redlich reserved their decision and a new judgement will be handed down on a date to be fixed.
As previously reported in the News, Mr Gany had a blood alcohol reading of 0.175 — more than three times the legal alcohol limit — when he crashed into a brick wall at Dandenong West Primary School on 19 May last year.
In February, the County Court heard that the Sudanese refugee had drunk four cups of cask wine before the incident, which left five children injured.
Six-year-old Sabi Mashid was forced to have his right foot amputated as a result of the collision and Medina Hubanic, 11, suffered multiple leg fractures.
Mr Gany had pleaded guilty to four counts of negligently causing serious injury and to one count of reckless conduct endangering persons.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol.
The court also heard Gany had two previous drink-driving convictions, once recording a blood alcohol reading of .272 per cent, and had been disqualified from driving at the time of the incident.