A DOCTOR who left a man with serious injuries after causing a head-on collision while driving dangerously has avoided jail.

Consultant anaesthetist Julia Morch-Siddall, of East Heddon, Heddon-on-the-Wall, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday, September 20 to be sentenced.

The 50-year-old had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing in May to causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the crash on January 30 this year.

Last week, the court heard that on the day of the crash she had been spotted veering out of control in her Land Rover Freelander, on the A1 in Gateshead, by another driver.

After turning off on to the A692 near Sunniside, she ran a red light and careered into oncoming traffic, causing a head-on collision with a VW Up.

The driver, a 36-year-old man, was left wheelchair-bound for months after receiving multiple fractures to his feet.

The court heard that four empty cans of Stella Artois had been found in Morch-Siddall’s car, along with another half-empty can.

When interviewed by police, it was heard that Morch-Siddall had expressed how sorry she was and explained that she had a medical condition which she struggled with, sometimes causing her to drink to deal with the pain.

The court heard she had been dealing with suicidal thoughts and had also suffered Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

She was sentenced to an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, ordered to take part in a drink driving programme and complete 80 hours of unpaid work, and handed a three-year driving disqualification.