A MAN who reversed over a taxi driver with his own cab while drunk has been banned from driving for 18 months.

Anthony Nolan, of Stonedelph Close, Ainsworth, admitted getting into the driver’s seat of the Elton Bullitt taxi on October 25 last year and reversing over the driver, Abdul Chaudhary, who had got out of the vehicle because he was scared of Nolan’s dog.

Bolton Crown Court heard on Monday that the 45-year-old and a friend had taken the taxi to Back Bolton Road, where he got out of the car to collect the Staffordshire bull terrier from his ex-partner’s house.

The driver, who is allergic to dogs, jumped out of the car when Nolan brought the animal inside it.

Nolan then walked around to the driver’s side of the vehicle as the dog followed the driver, switched the engine on and reversed the car back slowly, hitting the driver, before fleeing the scene.

In statements submitted to the court, Mr Chaudhary described his injuries as “severe” and “life-threatening”, adding that his work had suffered since then because he is in a “constant state of fear.”

However, Rachel Cooper, prosecuting, said that he had lost consciousness as he fell to the ground and suffered a cut above his eye and abrasions to his knee.

Daniel Gaskell, defending, said that Nolan accepted the facts of the case, despite having no recollection of the night because of his drunken state, and expressed remorse for his actions.

Sentencing Nolan, Recorder Paul Reid QC said: “The truth is that you probably had no recollection of the events, given the amount of alcohol you had taken.

“This really was a bit of drunken recklessness on your part.

“There was plainly no intention to hurt the complainant, but as a result of your getting into the driver’s seat and reversing the car he suffered a number of injuries that were very unpleasant for him at the time.”

He added that the length of the disqualification had been reduced as driving is important to Nolan’s employment as a roofer and warned that the 45-year-old would be back before the court again unless he could curb his drinking.

Nolan was also given a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation requirement, and ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation to Mr Chaudhary and a victim surcharge.