A MOTORIST who drove his car without due care and attention while under the influence of a ‘heady cocktail’ of drugs has been jailed.

Darren Andrew Walmsley admitted four driving charges after he was caught by police on the A595 near Dalton.

The 50-year-old driver was sent to prison for 12 weeks and handed a hefty ban from getting behind the wheel of a car.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard that Walmsley was driving his Vauxhall Corsa on the A595 on October 11.

He was due to stand trial over four charges but changed his pleas ahead of the hearing.

Walmsley admitted driving while unfit through drugs, driving without due care and attention, driving without the appropriate licence and driving without insurance.

The bench of magistrates, led by Anne Hawson, opted to jail Walmsley.

According to court documents, they refused to suspend the sentence because Walmsley's ‘bad’ standard of driving caused a ‘significant risk’ to himself and other road users.

They also cited Walmsley's high level of impairment having taken the substances and a ‘heady cocktail’ of drugs in his system at the time of the offence.

The court heard Walmsley also had previous offences for drink or drug driving on his record.

Magistrates said he had a ‘lengthy history of driving whilst unfit, be it through drugs or drink’ and were ‘not prepared to suspend the sentence due the history of offending and disregarding court orders because the offence was aggravated by the defendant’s record of previous offending’.

As well as the prison sentence, Walmsley, of Swan Street in Ulverston, was banned from driving for a total of five years and 42 days for drug driving.

The court ordered no separate penalty for the other three offences.

Walmsley was also ordered to pay a £128 surcharge to fund victim services.

The court did not order the defendant to pay costs because of the custodial sentence, according to court records.