Taking a cocktail of drugs and driving ‘like an absolute idiot’ led to a crash and a court appearance.

Iwan Christopher Purbrick-Jones, of Laws Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to three charges of being in charge of a vehicle while over the controlled drug limit, failing to report an accident and driving without due care and attention when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday, March 13.

A charge of failing to stop after an accident was withdrawn by Abul Hussain on behalf of the prosecution, who stated that the vehicle had no option other than to stop after colliding with a post.

The court heard that Purbrick-Jones, 28, was slumped across the steering wheel when a police officer came across his Audi A4 in Tesco car park, Carmarthen, in the early hours of August 17.

Mr Hussain said: “The officer thought the defendant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs as his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet.

“He walked over to a bin and fell into it.”

A roadside breath-test was negative for alcohol, but a blood sample revealed ‘quite high’ levels of cocaine, MDMA and Diazepam.

CCTV footage captured the Audi failing to stop at a junction and heading straight towards the store’s large glass door. It collided with a lamppost and came to a halt.

The car’s passenger told the officer that Purbrick-Jones was suffering from mental health issues and had taken medication, adding: “He was driving like an absolute idiot.”

Purbrick-Jones was taken to hospital due to concerns about his welfare.

The bench heard that he was convicted of drink-driving in October, which resulted in a three-year ban.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said: “He was in a bad place at the time. It was a cocktail of drugs that he had taken.”

He added that Purbrick-Jones had voluntarily referred himself to a support organisation and was now clean of drugs.

A probation service report stated that Purbrick-Jones had been using the substances to deal with personal issues, was ‘deeply ashamed’ of his actions and felt terrible about the incident.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Purbrick-Jones was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £170 in costs and a surcharge. He was banned from driving for 40 months.