Drink driver Lee Hamilton admits causing friend's death in Leven in Fife
A speeding drink driver has admitted killing a teenager in a crash after spending hours downing pints and shots at a wedding reception in Fife.
Lee Hamilton, 23, lost control of his Peugeot 106 and hit a wall resulting in the death of his passenger, Kristoffer Brister, 19, on 30 November 2013.
The crash happened on the A915 road at Windygates Road in Leven.
The car's speedometer was found locked at 69 mph following the collision on a road with a 30 mph speed limit.
Hamilton, from Methil, in Fife, admitted causing the death of Mr Brister by driving dangerously after drinking and colliding with a wall.
He also admitted that at the time he was committing an offence by driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and using the vehicle while uninsured or unsecured against third party risks.
Hamilton was helped out of the damaged vehicle after shouting for help but ran away into gardens when police turned up at the scene in Leven.
A judge told Hamilton: "You have pleaded guilty to causing the death of a 19-year-old friend by driving dangerously while under the influence of alcohol, driving at excessive speed and at a time when you should not have been driving at all."
Lord Uist told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: "The consequences of your actions have been utterly tragic."
Defence counsel Ronnie Renucci said unemployed Hamilton accepted that a prison sentence was "inevitable".
He said Mr Brister was a close friend of Hamilton and added: "He has asked me to publicly apologise to Mr Brister's family for his actions that night."
Lord Uist deferred sentence on Hamilton for the preparation of a background report.