Detective Sergeant Dieter Kreuzer crashed his car into a parked vehicle near his East Albury home in January after drinking at The Newmarket Hotel for about 10 hours.

The 52-year-old has worked in the police force for more than three decades, and has headed the Albury drug squad and worked undercover.

His lawyer, Mark Cronin, said he had been subjected to “severe danger” and death threats during that time, and developed major depressive disorder and chronic post traumatic stress disorder as a result.

This, Mr Cronin said, was directly linked to the early morning incident on January 13.

Kreuzer crashed his vehicle into another car on Rau Street about 1am, got out, got back in, tried to drive off, and again hit the vehicle several times.

A passerby tried to remove his keys but couldn’t, and Kreuzer drove off into Hanel Street.

Police found him passed out at the wheel in Kenilworth Street, the keys still in the ignition.

He refused to give ID and twice refused a breath test, but returned a reading of 0.214 back at the Albury station.

He fought back tears as Mr Cronin spoke of his time as a policeman.

He received about a dozen awards from 1999 to 2014, including for major drug operations. 

Kreuzer had been off work after being hurt on duty, with a “severe psychological injury he has suffered in his employment”.

He had turned to alcohol in the weeks leading up to the incident and a teenage family member had died before the smash.

“But for his mental health condition, this incident would not have occurred,” his lawyer told the court.

A claim against the force for being hurt on duty was finalised after the incident.

“That was a very significant step forward in relation to his ongoing treatment and recovery,” Mr Cronin said.

“But he has a long way to go.”

Magistrate Tony Murray accepted the incident was linked to his condition and will deal with it as a mental health matter, rather than criminal matter, if Kreuzer follows a treatment plan.

He said he had been a “dedicated and decorated police officer for a very, very long period of time”. 

Kreuzer, whose licence has been suspended, will return to court on August 28.