Click to view full size

A man convicted of drunk driving for the third time has had part of his sentence overturned by the Court of Appeal, but his lifetime driving ban remains in place.

Numesh Seegobin pleaded guilty in February 2023 to driving with alcohol levels over the legal limit, in breach of section 70A(1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act. It was his third conviction for driving under the influence (DUI). In June 2023, a magistrate fined him $5,000, disqualified him from driving for life, and placed him on a three-year probation order under a $10,000 bond.

Seegobin appealed the decision, arguing that the magistrate gave him three sentences for the same offence, which is not allowed. He also said the magistrate failed to follow the law, which requires drivers to first face temporary bans before being permanently disqualified, and that the punishment was too harsh.