Man admits causing Christmas Eve pedestrian death

A factory worker has pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the alcohol limit, following a Christmas Eve crash that killed a pedestrian and left another seriously hurt.

Nicolae Brica, 48, was driving through Norwich when he collided with two men walking along Barrack Street shortly after 01:20 GMT on 24 December.

One of the victims, Thomas Plane, 28, was declared dead at the scene and the other, James Plane, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Brica, of Heathgate, Norwich, also pleaded guilty to a charge of causing serious injury by careless driving at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday. Sentencing will take place in September.

The court did not explain how the two victims were related.

Brica, a Romanian national who was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK, was driving a Renault Megane at the time of the crash.

The court heard he was found to be almost twice over the legal limit for alcohol following the collision.

He already pleaded guilty to drink driving at an earlier court hearing at Norwich Magistrates' Court on Boxing Day.

On Wednesday, Brica, wearing a dark sports jacket and dark trousers, pleaded guilty to the two additional charges, with the assistance of an interpreter.

Following the plea, Judge Andrew Shaw said a jail sentence was "inevitable" and he could face six years' imprisonment.

He denied Brica bail and he was remanded into custody, with a date set for sentencing on 24 September.

Addressing the family of Thomas and James Plane, Judge Shaw expressed his "sincere sorrow for their loss".

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