A 23-year-old drink-driver from Yatton has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a teenager in a fatal crash on Valentine’s Day.

James Bisset, of Grace Close, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and possession of a quantity of the class A drug cocaine when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.

Bisset was arrested after his car collided with 18-year-old Alex Gould and three other pedestrians on Clevedon Road in Nailsea before hitting a telegraph pole in the early hours of February 14 this year.

Alex, a former Backwell School pupil, had been walking home from a party with his friend Matthew Thompson, aged 18, when the incident happened.

Alex died in Southmead Hospital the next day and Matthew was also seriously injured in the crash.

Bisset admitted his driving was impaired by excess alcohol at the time of the incident but a report is being prepared to determine whether his driving was also impaired by the presence of cocaine in his system.

Friends and family of both victims and Bisset packed into the court on Friday to hear the defendant enter pleas to the charges.

Judge David Evans told the court: “He must understand that he faces an inevitable and immediate custodial sentence.”

Addressing Bisset, Judge Evans said: “Mr Bisset, you have pleaded guilty to very serious offences. The court cannot sentence you today for the reasons I’ve explained.

“Once the information the judge needs to have before passing sentence has been received, you will be sentenced.”

Bisset has been provisionally banned from driving until his sentence is passed.

He was granted conditional bail and is due back in court on January 3.