A 32-year-old driver who killed two sisters in a drunk driving accident in 2018, has entered guilty pleas.

Raibulu Ratoto appeared before Judge Justice Salesi Temo yesterday at the Suva High Court.

Ratoto has been found guilty as charged and convicted after he pleaded guilty to the offences of manslaughter, disobedience of lawful orders and breach of zero alcohol limit.

For the first offence of manslaughter, Ratoto on September 16, 2018, at Kanace Road in Nasinu, drove a motor vehicle registration number EVENTS along Kanace Road in a manner that caused the death of Archana Amrita Chand.

For the second offence of manslaughter, Ratoto on September 16, 2018, at Kanace Road in Nasinu, with the same motor vehicle registration number EVENTS drove along Kanace Road in a manner that caused the death of Anjula Chand.

For the offence of breach of zero alcohol limit, Ratoto on September 16, 2018, present in 100 millilitres of his blood was a concentration of 1562.2 milligrams of alcohol; which was in excess of the prescribed limit.

Ratoto on July 10, 2018, was given an order by the Nasinu Magistrates Court in Nasinu to be disqualified from driving for six months; he disobeyed the said order by driving a motor vehicle registration number EVENTS on September 16, 2018, along Kanace Road.

Ratoto had admitted to the particulars of the charge and agreed to the summary of facts read out by the prosecutor Sheenal Swastika from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The facts stated that Ratoto, on the day of the incident, drank cans of Joskies until 12pm and went home to hand over his company vehicle registration number EVENTS.

The court heard that Ratoto was intoxicated while driving and the vehicle went off the road, hit a sign board and a mango tree.

Ms Swastika told the court that the vehicle spun and hit the victims who were walking along the footpath.

She highlighted to the court that the victims were thrown across the road and that Archana had passed away on the same day while Anjula died three days later.

The matter has been adjourned for sentence hearing this morning.

Edited by Karalaini Waqanidrola

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