A FATHER who was left paralysed in a crash more than 20 years ago has been banned from driving — after being caught nearly three times over the drink drive limit.

John Hulme was arrested after he crashed his BMW 525 into a stone wall outside a home in Blackburn Road, Bolton, at about 12.30am on Friday, September 27, last year.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard the 41-year-old had been drinking with a friend in Bolton town centre and decided to drive home because he had struggled to get a taxi.

Nat Ayisi-Biney, sentencing Hulme, chairman of the bench, said: “You should know better. Drinking and driving is very serious. Considering your situation you are very blessed that nobody was injured but a property was damaged.”

Steve Woodman, prosecuting, said the crash caused damage to Hulme’s car and the stone wall.

Hulme, of Horrobin, in Turton, stayed at the scene after the crash and was taken to Bolton Police Station where he was asked to provide a blood sample to test his alcohol level.

He was found to have 213 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood — the legal limit is 80 milligrammes.

Rebecca Sharp, defending, said: “He says he drove to the town centre to have a meal with a friend. He hadn’t intended to drink but was quite down about some matters. He started to drink and skipped the meal.

“He couldn’t get a taxi to get home and took the extremely foolish decision to drive his vehicle back home. It is significant regret he feels.”

She said Hulme was left paralysed from the chest down in a road traffic collision in 1993.

His health had deteriorated in the past few years after he suffered a ruptured bicep.

Ms Sharp told the court Hulme also suffers from depression and has a pump to administer medication for involuntary spasms.

He has to attend a hospital in Southport for treatment at least every three weeks.

Ms Sharp added: “Disqualification of any length will effectively be an imprisonment in his own home.”

Hulme, who pleaded guilty to drink driving, cares for his two daughters, aged nine and 15, several times a week and at weekends and would be unable to take them to and from school if he was banned from driving, the court heard.

He was banned from driving for two years, ordered to pay a £1,530 fine and £85 court costs.