Ruparelia [2018] EWCA Crim 2766

The appellant drove his McClaren sports car dangerously crushing into a traffic light which fell on a pedestrian causing serious injury. His sentence of 20 months’ imprisonment was reduced to 12 months by the Court of Appeal, with a consecutive sentence of 2 months for failing to stop.

The disqualification of 18 months was erroneously pronounced to run from the date of his release, when there is no power to do so. The disqualification length was increased to 2 years 7 months which was said not to offend s11(3) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 as the substantive sentence was reduced, so as a whole the appellant had not been dealt with more severely.