A man who got behind the wheel of an Audi A3 while on ketamine and cocaine has been banned from driving for five years.

Joshua Bridgman was also handed a suspended prison sentence of a year-and-a-half when he appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (November 9).

It comes after the 29-year-old was caught driving near Wallingford with ketamine, cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system on March 25.

READ MORE: M40 crash near Oxford involving Kia leaves man in hospital

Shortly after midnight, Thames Valley Police officers spotted the Audi parked in a lay-by on Icknield Road with its lights on and multiple people inside.

While the rural crime taskforce officers checked the Audi’s details, a woman, Danielle Collins, 27, drove the car past them slowly.

She then swapped seats with Bridgman, who drove past the officers again.

When officers put on their blue lights to pull Bridgman over, he reversed and hit the curb. Another police car then arrived and boxed the Audi in.

Both Bridgman and Collins were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs. Checks also showed that Bridgman was disqualified from driving at the time.

The defendants, both of Meadowside, Dorchester-on-Thames, both plead guilty at their hearings on September 28.

Collins, who was found to have ketamine and benzoylecgonine in her system, was given a one-year community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement at last week’s sentencing.

Investigating officer PC Ben Little said: “I am pleased with these results as Bridgman and Collins both drove while heavily under the influence of drugs, putting other motorists at risk.”