Motorist more than four times limit when found slumped behind wheel of car in South Tyneside street

Alcoholic Jagdeep Sekhon, 35, was found by paramedics alerted to his plight in Lesley Avenue, Hebburn, on Tuesday, June 2.

Sekhon gave a breath test reading which showed 146 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard it was his second alcohol-related driving offence in four years.

In 2016 he was given a 15-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, and banned from the roads for 13 months, after being caught three-and-a-half times the limit.

Sekhon pleaded guilty to an allegation of being drunk while in charge of a vehicle.

Magistrates have now ordered a report be compiled into his behaviour and he will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, December 29.

Prosecutor Lesley Burgess said: “An ambulance had attended, and Mr Sekhon was described as being slumped over the wheel.

“One of the paramedics took the keys. Mr Sekhon was incoherent and couldn’t stand up. He was taken to a police station.

“He gave a reading of 146 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

“What probably aggravates matters is that in 2016 he was before the court after he gave a reading of 122 microgrammes.

“He was made subject to a suspended sentence and a 13-month disqualification.”

Paul Hanratty, defending, said: “This is a man who has an alcohol dependency. He needs some support.

“Your starting point is a medium to high community order and the range does take it up to custody.”

Magistrates , who granted Sekhon, of St Andrews Drive, Low Fell, Gateshead, unconditional bail, ordered an all options report be compiled by the Probation Service, keeping open the possibility of a jail sentence.

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