Former soldier drove his Mercedes through red light and hit VW Golf before fleeing the scene

Nilesh Deo, 36, drove his Mercedes through a red light and struck a VV Golf in Campbell Park Road, Hebburn – and he did so while intoxicated.

He was found by police 50 minutes later on Saturday, November 14, and arrested – but then failed to provide a breath sample, a court heard.

His refusal meant his booze level could not be officially recorded, but District Judge Kathryn Meek said Deo was clearly drunk at the time of the crash.

She banned him from the roads for 20 months and hit him with fines and court costs of over £1,700 after he pleaded guilty to a string of motoring offences.

Judge Meek heard Deo was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder due to military operations during his 16-year career with the Yorkshire regiment.

Sentencing him, she said: “None of us can understand what you experienced, but I can read the references and they tell me it was horrendous.

“By good luck rather than good management, no-one was injured by this accident and there was minimal damage to the other vehicle.”

Judge Meek described Deo as having “positive good character”, but added: “Nonetheless, you know as well as I do how serious this matter is.

“It’s not what you’ve been charged with, but it’s clear that you were under the influence of alcohol on this occasion.”

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard Deo was of previous good character and there was no record of the other driver being injured.

Geoffrey Forrester, defending, said: “The defendant served his country for 16 years with the Yorkshire Regiment, he served his country in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“He was quite seriously ill, and he was also in a relationship and that was part of the cause of him driving. He accepts that he was wrong.

“He has good behaviour, and very positive good character.”

Deo pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident.

He was fined £1,500 for failing to provide, with a £150 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

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