Iain Archer, 36, of Grange Street, Chester-le-Street, drove into his girlfriend's neighbour, Gregory Kevin Ash, after he emerged from his home dressed as Santa on Boxing Day 2005 after a row about a noisy party.

Mr Ash was struck in the front of the knees and knocked onto the bonnet of the car and a melee ensued during which Archer then accidentally reversed his car into another partygoer .

After his car stalled as he tried to get away, he burst into tears and apologised for what he had done.

Archer was jailed for six months at Durham Crown Court on January 18 this year after pleading guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was also banned from the road for two years.

Yesterday he asked Mr Justice Burton and Mr Justice David Clarke, sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court, to reduce his jail sentence, in light of prison overcrowding, and overturn his driving ban.

The judges refused to reduce his jail term but agreed to half his driving ban to 12 months, giving him a chance to resume his career when he is released.

Giving the judgment of the court, Mr Justice Burton said: "Archer was driving his taxi and had not been drinking. In this sober state a stage came when he deliberately drove at and hit Mr Ash using his car as a weapon of assault.

"A custodial sentence was appropriate but we have to

decide, taking all the factors into consideration, including prison overcrowding, whether six months was the shortest possible appropriate term. We think that it was.

"However, we think that the public interest would be served by this offender being able to be rehabilitated and have the chance of return to his chosen profession and we allow the appeal against the driving ban, and reduce it to 12 months."