A MAN who witnessed the murder of his best friend has been given a suspended prison sentence for driving offences.

Abdul Rahim was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when he drove while disqualified, Oxford Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday.

The 23-year-old had seen Blayne Ridgway, left, fatally stabbed outside Oxford’s Que Pasa bar in May, his solicitor Julian Richards said.

Mohamed Sheikh, prosecuting, said Rahim was pulled over in a BMW in Marston in September and initially gave officers a false name before they found his passport in the car.

Rahim’s licence had been suspended after a drink-driving conviction in June 2009 and his ban was due to last until October.

The unemployed labourer, from Copse Lane, Marston, admitted driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He was given a 12-week jail term, suspended for a year, and ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work with £50 costs.

He was also banned from driving for another six months.