A 27-year-old man who caused life-changing injuries to an Ipswich schoolboy after hitting him with his car during a police chase is expected to receive a “significant” jail term when he is sentenced next month.

The 11-year-old victim was walking to school with friends at around 8.30am on October 18 along Halliwell Road, Ipswich, when he was struck by a Renault Clio driven by Michael Neto, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Neto, of Baldwin Gardens, Clerkenwell, London, has admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, possessing cannabis, failing to stop when required by a police officer and failing to stop after an accident.

He was due to be sentenced next week but today Judge Martyn Levett agreed to adjourn the hearing until the week commencing December 17 to allow up-to-date medical reports to be obtained on the injured schoolboy and for victim impact statements to be received from his parents.

The adjournment will also allow the prosecution to obtain police dash-cam footage and the results of toxicology blood tests which will show if Neto was under the influence of drugs at the time of the offences.

Judge Levett directed that a further hearing should take place on November 26 to update the court on progress in the case.

Peter Gair, prosecuting, told the court that the schoolboy had been left with life-changing injuries and was using a wheelchair as a result of the collision and was due to undergo facial surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital next week.

Mr Gair told the court that Neto had been driving at 70mph in Cauldwell Hall Road during the chase which ended when he hit a garden wall in Goring Road after driving round a right hand bend on the wrong side of the road.

Neto had run off but was arrested by police officers and was taken to Martlesham Heath police investigation centre for questioning.

He has been remanded in custody until the sentencing hearing.

Suffolk Constabulary has referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.