A drug driver crashed his car while he was watching pornographic videos on his mobile, a court was told.

Carl Rule was 15 times the specified limit for a cocaine metabolite when he hit a tree in Fakenham Road, West Lexham.

Police checking over the Volkswagen Caddy on September 11 last year came to the conclusion that he had been watching videos on his phone while it was on the centre console.

Rule, 36, appeared before King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to plead guilty to drink-driving, drug-driving and driving without due care and attention.

In light of his guilty plea to the careless driving matter, the prosecution withdrew two further charges – driver not in position to have proper control and using a vehicle on a road when television receiving/cinematographic apparatus was visible to the driver.

Qamar Iqbal, prosecuting, told the bench that the collision occurred at 10.40am after Rule had lost control of the vehicle.

“Members of the public went to assist him,” said Mr Iqbal, who added that the defendant had suffered a head wound and serious injury and was struggling to control his breathing.

Rule, of Jubilee Way, Necton, gave a sample which showed 114 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood (the legal limit being 80) and 751 micrograms of the cocaine breakdown product per litre of blood (legal limit being 50).

Mr Iqbal said: “In interview, the defendant said he’d had alcohol the night before.

“When asked if he’d been watching pornographic videos while driving, he replied 'probably' and agreed it wasn’t acceptable.”

Rule, who represented himself in court, said in mitigation: “I’m very sorry. I have got a lot of problems going on.

“I do suffer from depression and I’m on medication for it.”

For each of the driving under the influence offences, he was fined £640 and disqualified from driving for 12 months, the bans to run concurrently.

For driving without due care, his licence will be endorsed.

Rule was ordered to pay £105 costs and £128 victim surcharge.