Appeal lodged over drink school crash sentence

By Sarah Schwager
AN APPEAL has been lodged against the suspended sentence given to Doveton serial drink driver Taban Gany.
An Office of Public Prosecutions spokesperson said an appeal had been filed and served on Gany.
He said Director of Public Prosecutions Paul Coghlan QC had decided to appeal on the basis he believed the sentence was inadequate.
Gany, 32, received a three-year suspended jail term in the County Court in February. He had a blood alcohol reading of 0.175 when he crashed into a brick wall at Dandenong West Primary School on 19 May last year, injuring five children.
The right foot of six-year-old Sabi Mashid was amputated as a result of the collision, and 11-year-old Medina Hubanic suffered multiple leg fractures.
Gany pleaded guilty to four counts of negligently causing serious injury, one count of reckless conduct endangering persons and one count of exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol.
The court heard Gany had two previous drink driving convictions, once recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.272 per cent, and had been disqualified from driving at the time of the incident.
Judge Peter Gebhardt said he took into account Gany’s guilty pleas, remorse, success in an alcohol treatment program, prospects for rehabilitation and days spent in custody when handing down the sentence.
Gany’s licence was also cancelled for three years and he was disqualified from obtaining a licence during that period of time.
The Court of Appeal will determine when the hearing will be held.