A MAN whose driving killed his best friend and left another motorist injured has had his driving ban halved.

In April, 2003, Richard James Bourke, a buyer at a car dealership firm, duped another dealership into letting him borrow a high-powered Renault Clio by giving false details about himself, London's Court of Appeal heard.

He later lost control of the car, killing his friend.

But top judges ruled that the 10-year ban he got was too long because it could hinder his rehabilitation.

Bourke, aged 24, of Stavesacre, Leigh, had pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving and obtaining property by deception.

On August 22, 2003, he was jailed for a total of four-and-a-half years and was also given the driving ban.

But Appeal Court judges agreed with defence arguments that extensive bans could tempt people like Bourke to drive while disqualified as well as making his rehabilitation after his prison release "difficult".

Mr Justice David Clarke, sitting with Lord Justice Rose and Mr Justice Christopher Clarke, said the tragedy happened on the day when Bourke was due to return the Clio to the dealership.

He said Bourke was spotted driving over a long distance "dangerously and at "excessive" speeds along Bradshaw Road, Bolton.

He lost control of the car, which skidded sideways and careered down an embankment, fatally injuring his best pal, 20-year-old Greg Williams, who was a passenger in the car, the judge said.

Another driver, Lee Davies, was also hurt and likely to "suffer permanent damage" as a result, the court heard.

Bourke, who was not appealing against his prison sentence, has previous convictions for speeding which had resulted in a previous driving ban, the court heard.

Allowing his appeal against the length of the driving ban, and reducing it to five years, Mr Justice Clarke said the court accepted that the trial judge may have been influenced by a report which stated that Bourke did not intend to drive again. Concluding, Lord Justice Clarke said: "We accept that a very long driving ban can make rehabilitation difficult."