Seasoned police officers described Robert Sharman’s alcohol reading of 0.341 as one of the highest they’d ever seen in a breath test and said he was so inebriated he could barely stand on two feet and had trouble understanding basic instructions.

Court documents said Sharman was driving his unregistered silver Subaru Liberty unaccompanied along a Woonona street on October 28 when he crashed into a maroon coloured Holden SUV.

Both vehicles were damaged as a result of the collision, which was witnessed by a neighbour out for a walk.

Sharman tried to drive off but only got five metres up the road. The owner of the Holden approached Sharman’s vehicle and reached in to removed the keys. He told police he was hit by a strong waft of alcohol and realised Sharman was drunk.

Officers described Sharman as struggling to stand upright when they arrived, noting he was irritable, aggressive and agitated and continued swaying from side to side during the encounter.

Sharman was taken to Wollongong Police Station and charged but allowed to sleep off the alcohol in the cells: he reportedly snored the entire time.

In court on Friday, defence lawyer Graeme Morrison said Sharman was living in his car at the time and hadn’t eaten in two days. He said Sharman was driving to his ex-wife’s house to get food. 

He asked that Sharman be spared full-time jail, despite the fact it was his fourth drink-driving charge and he’d only recently got his learner’s licence back after his most recent disqualification period had ended.

However, Magistrate Michael Stoddart said prison was the only appropriate sentence given the serious nature of Sharman’s offending.

“It’s quite astonishing when you read the facts….you haven’t cared one bit about any member of the public when getting behind the wheel of your car; it’s disgraceful,” he said.

Sharman will be paroled in October.