A PRIMARY school head teacher was nearly four times the legal drink drive limit when he crashed into three other cars on his way home from work.

Blackburn magistrates heard Simon Tonge, who had previously been praised for his outstanding leadership, had been under extreme pressure at work and home at the time of the offence.

And the court was told he had already sought professional help after recognising he had a drink problem.

Tonge, 48, of Bradshaw Meadows, Bolton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol on Blackburn Road, Turton, on Wednesday October 9. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, made subject to a six months alcohol treatment order and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and pay £85 costs and £122 victim surcharge.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the silver BMW driven by Tonge had collided with three other vehicles forcing one of them into a ditch.

Tonge remained at the scene until police arrived. The collision occurred at 5.20 pm.

He told one of the other drivers who checked to see he was alright that he didn’t know what had happened.

Tonge, head of Spring Hill Community Primary School, Accrington, failed a roadside breath test and lower reading given at the police station was 132 microgrammes of Alcoa in 100 millilitres of breath against the legal limit of 35.

Miss Allan said Tonge had no previous convictions.

Aftab Bakhat, defending, said his client had an unblemished record.

He said he was under considerable pressure at work following the sudden death of a colleague.

“He was counselling pupils and staff but nobody was looking out for him,” said Mr Bakhat. “Quite simply the buck stopped with him.”

Mr Bakhat said Tonge had the usual pressures of being a husband and father and added to that his father was seriously ill.

“He started to self-medicate with alcohol which steadily increased,” said Mr Bakhat. “Even prior to this incident he had sought help.

Mr Bakhat said there would be consequences in relation to the defendant’s job.

“He has had a spectacular fall from grace and he will have to live with the consequences,” said Mr Bakhat. “The one positive is that he is now receiving professional help.”