AN apprentice roofer has been banned from driving after hitting his friend with his van after drinking.

And the accident happened as Daniel Wood tried to track down the man who had attacked his mate in a pub brawl earlier that evening.

Huddersfield magistrates heard that Wood, from Greens End Road in Meltham, had been out celebrating a birthday on the night of September 18.

The group had been drinking at the Victoria Park Pub on Station Street, Meltham.

Linda Fowler, prosecuting, said: “He (Wood) had been out since 9pm celebrating and had drunk six or seven pints of lager.

“There was a disturbance in the early hours at the pub. His friend was punched and he had gone to collect his van to drive round looking for the person responsible.

“When he had not found anybody he drove back towards the scene.

“He heard a big bump at the back of him, but assumed somebody had thrown something.

“He returned to the scene and found his friend. He had injuries and he had hit him with his van.”

Police were called to the pub following the incident at 1.20am.

When 22-year-old Wood returned he told officers that he was responsible for the collision.

But they could smell alcohol on his breath and arrested him on suspicion of driving while under the influence.

A breath test at the police station showed that Wood had 67 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – almost twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Shazad Dad, defending, said that Wood had parked his vehicle at home for the evening and intended to walk home after drinking.

But after his friend was seriously assaulted he went out to try and find his attacker.

He said: “At the time he felt there was an obligation on him to find the person who had committed the assault.

“That was a judgement impaired by alcohol.”

Mr Dad described Wood and his family as ‘respectable pillars of the community’ and asked magistrates to give him credit for immediately admitting the offence.

He said: “There was no evidence against him – he could have chosen to walk home.

“But he wanted to tell police and accepted that by doing so he would be admitting a serious offence.

“This is an honest young man and I feel certain you won’t see him in the courts again.”

Magistrates disqualified Wood from driving for 18 months.

The ban will be reduced if he takes part in a drink driving rehabilitation course.

Wood was also ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £280.