A motorist who was jailed after committing his ninth driving while disqualified during a visit to the island is appealing his sentence.

Arya Askari, also known as Asim Dawood, had barely driven off the Manxman ferry when he was stopped by police after concerns were raised by crew members.

At the Court of General Gaol Delivery in February, prosecutor Hazel Carroon said Askari, 27, was seen drinking and ‘intoxicated’ while on the ferry on February 11 and then went down and drove an Alpha Romeo car off when it docked at 5.40am.

But the police were alerted by crew members and Askari, who lives in the UK, was stopped in the departing area of the terminal before he even made it onto a public road.

Askari was arrested and taken to police headquarters where he gave two breath samples which were over the legal limit for driving. He was later charged with drink driving and driving while disqualified.

The court heard how Askari had eight other offences of driving while disqualified and five related to drink driving.

Defence advocate Kaitlyn Shimmin told the court her client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had only travelled a very short distance before being stopped.

Due to Askari’s previous record, Deemster Graeme Cook too the unusual step of not giving him full credit for his early guilty pleas giving him a discount of just 15% rather than the usual third.

Askari was handed a ten-month jail sentence for driving while disqualified and a further five months to run consecutively for drink driving – meaning he was jailed for a total of 15 months.

He was also banned from driving for five years and also given an exclusion order which means he cannot return to the Isle of Man for at least five years.

But Askari has appealed the sentence.

A directions hearing recently took place which granted Sakari a full hearing which will take place on June 11 before Judge of Appeal Antony Cross, alongside Deemsters Richard Pratt and Simon Farrell.