A DRUG driver who flipped his car after a police chase was caught behind the wheel with more illegal substances in his system a month later.

Craig Elliott was spotted by police driving a Vauxhall Astra on Severalls Lane, Colchester, in June.

He then pulled into Severalls Business Park where officers tried to flag him down.

But Elliott failed to stop and drove off along Langham Lane.

He then lost control on a bend in Moor Road where the car flipped on to its side.

Fortunately, no-one else was involved in the crash and police were able to help Elliott out of the car.

He passed a roadside breath test for alcohol and was taken to Colchester Hospital for treatment on minor injuries where he admitted to police he had smoked cannabis earlier in the day.

Cocaine was also found in his system.

Just a few weeks later, the 32-year-old was driving a Citroen C4 in Stanway when the vehicle’s registration plate triggered an ANPR camera.

Police found his parked up in St Albright Crescent.

Again he had cocaine and a cannabis derivative in his system.

Elliott, of Arnold Drive, Colchester, admitted four counts of drug driving, failing to stop for police and driving without a licence when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

Paul Baker, mitigating, said Elliott had fallen back into an old drug habit at the time of the offending.

“Things began to go awry and he began to mix again with the old crowd and use class A drugs again,” he said.

“When police approached him the first time he panicked and ended up losing control of the vehicle while in July there was no problem with how he was driving.”

Magistrates adjourned sentencing until February 6 for a report to be prepared.