A Norwich bricklayer weaving erratically between lanes on a motorway was found to be almost 15 times over the drug drive limit.

Cocaine-fuelled James McInally, 43, was stopped by police after his Audi TT was seen speeding and undertaking on the M3 at Basingstoke in Hampshire in July 2022.

Tests had found he had 746mg of Benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine, in his blood - the legal limit is 50mg.

He appeared before Norwich Magistrates Court having been arrested on a warrant for failing to attend a trial at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on July 24.

Basingstoke Gazette: McInally was arrested after his Audi TT was seen undertaking and weaving between lanes on the M3 at BasingstokeMcInally was arrested after his Audi TT was seen undertaking and weaving between lanes on the M3 at Basingstoke (Image: Google)

McInally, who lives on High Street in Wrentham, near Beccles, but works as a brickie in Norwich, had initially denied the charges. 

But the court heard he had been convicted in his absence for drug driving and driving without due care and attention.

Magistrates were told he “still maintains his innocence” and that he had been under the misapprehension that medical evidence had been accepted to delay his trial.  

He was given an interim driving ban and made subject of conditional bail pending being sentenced at Basingstoke.