A drugged-up motorist almost ran over a pedestrian and smashed into other cars as he drove his damaged van back to a Norfolk holiday park.

Joseph Adams, 41, was spotted driving dangerously between Great Yarmouth and Hemsby by other road users, including a woman whose partner called police.

Norwich Crown Court heard Adams was seen mounting the kerbs as his van swerved from side to side and into the oncoming lane.

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Samantha Lowther, prosecuting, said the vehicle went straight through a red light, "swerved in and out of cars" and had the brakes slammed on.

The van, which was badly damaged, also collided with bollards and forced a pedestrian to quickly move out of the way, as Adams headed back to Beach Road, Hemsby, where he parked up.

The pedestrian, who had been walking on the road, said the van came "whizzing past" him and was just a "few inches away".

Police found Adams in the driver seat of the van with his face "pressed into the air bag" which had gone off.

Adams, who appeared to be asleep, sounded slurry and had an open can of alcohol in the door as well as other medication.

He refused a breath test or blood sample and later spat and kicked at a police officer before trying to bite another. He was also found to have a quantity of cocaine on him.

Adams, of Beach Road, Hemsby, appeared for sentencing having admitted dangerous driving, possession of heroin and assault of an emergency worker, all on February 5 this year.

He also admitted failure to provide a specimen for analysis and common assault of an emergency worker on the same date.

Imposing a 15 month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, Recorder Nicola Fitches said: "It's sheer luck no-one was seriously injured or killed."

Adams was also ordered to do 25 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) as well as a six-month alcohol and drug treatment programme.

He was also disqualified from driving for 48 months.

Rob Pollington, mitigating, said Adams, who has 61 convictions for 132 previous offences, said the offending represented a "relapse" in his "raging Class A drug addiction".