A failed Liberal Democrat politician crashed into four parked cars at midnight while driving three times the drinks limit.
Maths teacher Reetendra Nath Banerji, 44, of Fern Hill Road, Oxford, the former assistant head at Westminster Academy, admits consuming six drinks during a lunchtime business meeting.
He stood as the LibDems official candidate in 2014’s Tower Hamlets mayoral election and as their parliamentary candidate for Salisbury and South Basildon & East Thurrock in the General Elections of 2015 and 2017.
He finished sixth, fourth and fourth respectively.
Yesterday Banerji pleaded guilty to driving his blue two-litre Alfa Romeo with excess alcohol in his breath in Grena Road, North Sheen on April 16.
Wimbledon Magistrates Court heard he had 104 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
He was driving back to a family address he also resides at in Woking Close, Putney.
He was driving back to a family address he also resides at in Woking Close, Putney.
Prosecutor Caroline Mungal told the court it was 12.20am when a resident of the quiet side road alerted her paramedic boyfriend to the crash.
“She was woken by a loud bang and a scraping noise outside her house and heard someone trying to start a car.
“He attended the location and saw the defendant sitting in the driver’s seat of a car in the middle of the road, which had substantial damage to one of the front wheels.
“There were four vehicles on the road that had been damaged, consistent with the defendant’s vehicle hitting them in succession.
“The witness smelled alcohol on the defendant and said his speech was slurred and his pupils were dilated.”
Probation Officer Tony Healy told the court: “He is very apologetic and remorseful. He had been out drinking in the afternoon and thinks he had about six drinks during a business discussion.
“He does not believe he has alcohol issues, but has seen his GP with depression and anxiety and got quite emotional about some recently deceased family members.”
Banerji’s lawyer Mr. James Hare said: “He was at a business meeting and did not intend to drink to excess, but got carried away and took the risk because it was such a short journey.
“His memory is of his tyre exploding having caught something and he went into the other cars. He stayed at the scene and called the AA.
“There was not any attempt to leave the scene.
“He’s currently not earning much money. Ten years ago he gave up a lucrative career in IT to take up a career in teaching.”
Banerji was sentenced to 80 hours community service, disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
District Judge Barbara Barnes said: “It’s aggravated in terms of the accident caused and the extensive damage to other peoples parked vehicles.
“The alcohol in your body was well over the legal limit,” she told Banerji. “You are a danger on the roads and to other people when you are in that condition as shown by the accident you caused.”
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