A troubled dad battling substance addiction was caught drug driving twice in three months.

Andrew Murray, 49, was arrested after witnesses saw him acting like he ‘under the influence of something’ when his car got stuck in a ditch in Bollington.

Three months later the out-of-work dad was found by police in a field in Gawsworth ‘waving his arms around in a random manner and talking to himself’.

At Macclesfield magistrates’ court, Murray, of Buxton Road, Macclesfield, admitted two charges of drug driving.

Debbie Byrne, prosecuting, said: “At 6.45pm on February 5 a motorist saw a Ford Focus on Ingersley Road in Bollington parked up and appearing to be in a small ditch. He saw two males, one he knew and the defendant, who appeared to be under the influence of something. He saw him move his vehicle out of the ditch and drive off. The witness called the police and followed the defendant and saw him go into Costcutter on Palmerston Road. Police arrived and spoke to him. Murray told them he had consumed amphetamine either within the last 48 hours or two weeks ago. He tested positive for Dihydrocodeine and amphetamine.”

“Then on May 11 a witness was on the Leek Road at Bosley when he saw a Fiat Punto parked half in a lay-by and half on the grass verge near to the Harrington Arms. He saw the defendant stumble into the road. He described the defendant as unable to stand still and twitching. He was waving his arms around in the middle of the road.

“When police arrived they found him in the middle of a field waving his arms in a random manner and talking to himself. He told officers that the clutch had broken on the car and that he had a previous amphetamine addiction.”

The court heard that the dad-of-four had a previous conviction for possession of amphetamine back in 2015.

Thomas Whittaker, probation officer, said Murray was a former car salesman who had to give up work to look after his disabled daughter.

He said: “He tried amphetamine and it got a grip of him. It is an unusual drug for people to take these days, especially for someone his age.”

Lisa Morton, defending, said Murray’s amphetamine use had become “a day to day thing” which he was getting treatment for.

Murray was banned for three years given a 20 day rehabilitation order and 150 hours unpaid work.