A SUFFOLK teenager has admitted his careless driving while drunk caused the death of his friend in a car crash.

Colin Adwent

A SUFFOLK teenager has admitted his careless driving while drunk caused the death of his friend in a car crash.

Mark Greggs was behind the wheel of his car when it crashed killing his friend 18-year-old Danny Lupson on September 19 last year. His car left the road before hitting a tree and overturning at Yaxley at 2am.

Greggs, 19, of Yaxley Road, Mellis, near Diss, who police said lived in the Ipswich area at the time of the crash, will now be sentenced in September after entering his guilty plea at Ipswich Crown Court.

Before the hearing Greggs, who was left with brain damage after the fatal accident, had faced charges of death by dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

However, a third charge of death by careless driving when over the prescribed limit was laid against him when he appeared for a pleas and case management hearing.

Greggs admitted this charge and the allegation of driving while disqualified.

The court was told after the tragedy on the old Ipswich road it was found Greggs had 95milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 mlgs.

Martyn Levett, representing Greggs, said his client had also suffered brain damage in a previous incident on July 7, 2007, when he was hit with a pole. He was in hospital for around two weeks after that incident.

After the fatal car crash last year Greggs was also treated for brain injuries at Addenbrooke's Hospital.

However, Mr Levett stressed he was not comparing his client's injuries to the tragedy and suffering of Mr Lupson and his family.

Judge Neil McKittrick adjourned the case for sentencing on September 3, pending a full pre-sentencing report from the Probation Service.

The hearing is scheduled to take up to one hour.

Judge McKittrick said he would make a ruling on the death by dangerous driving charge when sentencing Greggs, but added that there was a clear understanding the Crown would not proceed with that allegation.

Mr Lupson was a back seat passenger in the car which Greggs crashed.

He was a regular at the Cherry Tree pub in Yaxley and a member of its pool team.

The teenager had lived in Mellis all his life and was said to be well-known and liked in the area.

The former pupil of the village primary school and Hartismere High School in Eye worked for Groupbridge of Elmswell.