A WEDDING guest attempted to drive home early the morning after the celebration, despite being heavily under the influence of cocaine.

Kieran Amadi drove his BMW onto the A1(M), at Carrville, near Durham, at 6am, on Sunday, May 3, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that vehicles approaching noticed him driving erratically, veering across lanes, even onto the hard shoulder, at 70mph-plus, on the southbound carriageway.

Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said motorists ahead switched lanes, also going onto the hard shoulder, to get out of Amadi’s path.

She said at one point the BMW hit the back of a Peugeot 207, causing it to spin.

The BMW shot into the central reservation, careering up the barrier for 40-metres, leaving a trail of debris.

When police came across the damaged car, initial tests revealed Amadi had no alcohol in his system, but appeared to have three times the legal limit for cocaine.

The officers had to support him to get him back to their patrol vehicle, where he fell asleep on the back seat.

Once at a police station he was given an injection to bring him round so a blood test could be completed.

Miss Waugh said it revealed 162mg of the metabolite of cocaine, per litre of blood, compared to the legal limit for driving of 50mg.

An officer involved, PC Ian Ross, said in 25 years of policing, he had never seen anyone as intoxicated.

Amadi told police he was driving home to Bolton, Greater Manchester, from a wedding in Durham.

Miss Waugh said the Peugeot driver suffered whiplash injuries, having been initially knocked unconscious.

Amadi, 32, admitted dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs.

Paul Currer, mitigating, said the defendant previously took cocaine, which must have remained in his system, but denied taking more before starting the return journey from the wedding.

Jailing him for a year, and imposing a 30-month driving ban, Judge Simon Hickey said Amadi put himself and other road users at risk by driving in such a condition.