An ex-Royal Mail man who drove head on into another car while drunk at the wheel has been spared jail.
Andrew Coleman, 52, caused no injury other than to his memory from his booze session with his dad and subsequent roads’ smash in Gateshead.
He told police he could not remember how much he had drunk and nothing of the accident in Crowhall Lane, Felling, other than banging his head.
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A breath test showed Coleman, of Hartburn, Leam Lane Estate, who had veered onto the wrong side of the road in his Hyundai, was almost four times the limit.
Magistrates in South Tyneside heard he turned to drink on Thursday, January 13, after learning of a close friend’s death from cancer.
Boozing on occasions was also a long-term answer to emotional trauma suffered as the victim of an armed robbery while driving from the postal service in 1995.
Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “Suffice to say the defendant was drink-driving and was involved in a head on collision due to driving on the wrong side of the road.
“He seems to have lost control of his car for whatever reason and ended up in a road traffic accident.
“Police were made aware of the accident, and they arrive at the scene and find the defendant is clearly intoxicated.”
Coleman, a carer for his elderly father, gave a reading of 133mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
The unmarried and unemployed defendant pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.
A pre-sentence Probation Service report given to the court said he had drunk as a coping mechanism upon learning of the death.
It also confirmed he left his job as a delivery driver for the Royal Mail soon after the robbery and had found other employment until 2017.
Amy Lamb, defending, said: “It’s correct that what precipitates this is the sudden loss of his friend.
“He consumed alcohol with his father. He can’t remember what he had to drink, or driving other than banging his head. There is remorse.
“It’s fair to say that the incident in 1995 has had a significant impact on his life.
“It’s clear he’s been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder which has never been properly diagnosed.
“He has dealt with his problems through alcohol. They have been compounded by being out of work since 2017, which has had an impact on his mental health.
"This accident has been a salutary lesson. He's devastated by his actions and has taken steps around the underlying issues.”
Magistrates, who labelled his crime a “very serious offence”, jailed Coleman for eight weeks but suspended the sentence for a year.
He was banned from driving for three years and must complete 25 rehabilitation days.
Coleman was also fined £120, with a £128 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.
