There was never the remotest chance of the rest of the crew allowing him to get airborne
Never the remotest? I wonder.
Remember the Virgin Express pilot at Madrid who had to be woken in the hotel 3 times before he made it onto his feet, followed the rest of the crew in another taxi who got the plane ready, shambled through the departure lounge looking so wrecked that it alarmed the pax? They taxiied, apparently so erratically that pax began calling emergency services to say they were in a jet with a drunk pilot and only when the f/o was sufficiently scared (!) he took control and returned to the gate. Capt did a runner and was found an hour or more later in the hotel bar, pissed as a fart with a drink in front of him.
Never discount the remotest!