85‑year‑old William Apted has been disqualified from driving for life.
The Suva High Court has reviewed and set aside the sentence delivered by Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili in June this year.
Apted was earlier disqualified from driving for two years and fined $6,000 for one count of dangerous driving occasioning death and two counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous harm.
However, High Court Judge Justice Paul Madigan passed a sentence of two years imprisonment suspended for three years and Apted has to pay an additional fine of $4,000 on or before the end of this month.
In his judgement Justice Madigan highlighted that the proceedings and sentence by the Magistrates Court display a lack of balance in many respects.
He added that while much emphasis was placed on the trauma occasioned to Apted and on the strong mitigating factors, little regard was given to the horrific consequences of his driving.
Justice Madigan said the High Court does not agree that this case is so special as the Magistrates Court states that it does not warrant the imposition of a term of imprisonment.
The Office of the DPP had appealed this matter in the High Court.
William Apted was charged after the death of a 4‑year‑old girl in a road accident in Varani Street, Raiwaqa, last year.
He had pleaded guilty to the charges.
