A SORROWFUL dad who drove his car into a ditch while high on cocaine had his two young children with him in the vehicle.

Phillip Costello, 32, says he made the “reckless” decision to get behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta while under the influence of drugs.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard he loaded his two young children, now eight and three, into the car before setting off.

His car veered off the road and ended up in a ditch along the B1027 in Clacton.

Barry Hargreaves, prosecuting, said Essex Police were alerted to the crash by the ambulance service.

“The driver appeared intoxicated,” he said.

“Due to injury he was already on route to Colchester General Hospital.

“A police constable attended the hospital and Mr Costello has consented to samples of blood being taken.

“That was done and sent off for analysis.

“He admitted to being the driver of the vehicle at the time of the collision and having taken cocaine.”

“There was a road traffic collision where he leaves the road, but doesn’t appear to be another vehicle involved.

“His children are in the car with him when it happens.”

Yesterday Costello, of Broome Grove, Wivenhoe, admitted two counts of driving while over the limit of a controlled drug.

The counts relate to the cocaine found in his bloodstream and the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine derivative.

Police were alerted to the crash at around 4.55am on December 3.

Representing himself, Costello became emotional as he spoke of his regret and said his life is changing for the better.

“There is no reason why I would do that,” he said.

“I have two children and it is going to be a bit difficult to get around to see them.

“I work on a bus route so that is not going to be an issue.

“Apologies. In the last two years I haven’t been in the best place and made some reckless decisions, this being one of the biggest.

“I am disappointed in myself.

“I am re-building my life, just recently I got a flat for me and my children to be at now.

“I have just taken a proper full-time job which is nice and local, so I can be with my children and be a good dad.”

Costello said he took the decision to drive that morning as he needed to fetch an important bag belonging to his son.

“I totally regret that decision I made. It was a long time ago but I feel like I am reliving it again,” he said.

“It was six months ago, but I had to sit down with my son and make him feel all right about it.

“I went to retrieve a bag of my son’s which I needed to get. He had some important stuff in there.

“Obviously I panicked and really needed to get it and made the wrong decision because I was under the influence at the time.”

Magistrates ordered Costello to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £170 in court costs.

He was banned from the roads for 12 months.