A DIRECTOR of Salisbury FC whose dangerous driving caused a pile-up on the A343 has had his six-year motoring ban slashed by top judges.

Jeremy Harwood, 62, of Gunville Road, Winterslow, was behind the wheel of his Jaguar on December 9, 2013.

He was travelling on the A343 between Andover and Salisbury, Judge Nicholas Dean QC told London's Appeal Court yesterday.

Harwood overtook a van, clipping the verge as he did so.

He again touched the verge as he passed a taxi.

The cabbie had to 'veer off the road slightly' to avoid being hit as the Jaguar pulled back in.

Harwood then began to overtake two other vehicles when there was 'clearly not enough time and space to do so'.

He accelerated to try and get back into lane, 'despite there being no room', and collided with a van coming towards him.

Another car ploughed into the back of the van as it 'had nowhere else to go'.

Harwood was convicted of dangerous driving at Winchester Crown Court.

He got a 12-month suspended sentence and a six-month curfew order in December last year.

The judge also banned him from driving for six years and ordered him to pass an extended re-test before getting behind the wheel again.

Harwood's lawyers argued his motoring disqualification was far too tough today.

Judge Dean said it was a case of 'bad and sustained dangerous driving'.

But Harwood's crime was 'wholly out of character' and he previously had a clean driving record.

A 'serious illness' had 'affected his judgment', the judge added.

Harwood runs a business with 15 employees, the court heard.

The driving ban is having a 'significant' impact on his day-to-day work and could 'jeopardise' his ability to retain staff.

The disqualification went 'significantly beyond' what was 'necessary to protect the public, punish Harwood and deter others', said Judge Dean.

It was a 'manifestly excessive period of disqualification', added the judge, who was sitting with Lord Justice Elias and Mr Justice Wyn Williams.

He reduced the driving ban from six to two years. The extended re-test requirement remains in place.

Harwood has since been in touch with the Journal and says: "Six months previously I was in a coma and, when I came out of the coma, had to learn to do everything again -  walking and talking.

"This took place over the next five months and had me in a position to go back to work. 

"I asked the consultants and doctors and DVLA if I could drive again, all of whom gave me permission. 

"Five days later, I had an accident, caused neither by speeding nor drugs, just my brain's failure to judge spaces – something I was unaware of. I then didn’t drive for three months until then checked out by experts. 

"Two years later, I was banned for six years, something that most people felt was too harsh – something a year later the appeal court in London agreed with.

"I am not looking for sympathy, but maybe a little bit of understanding - it wasn’t how I behaved as the original judge was surprised that I was given permission to drive. And three years later, I found it difficult to comprehend why, and in fact have joined an action group to ensure that legislation is introduced to ensure that people in my position can’t get back behind a wheel until checked out properly.

"I have contacted everyone who told the truth and involved directly in the accident and apologised to them."