Doherty manager facing jail after hit-and-run

The manager of rock star Pete Doherty was today told he could be given a jail term after admitting his part in a hit-and-run.

Andrew Boyd, 42, of north London, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court accused of various offences relating to the crash in Hadleigh, Suffolk, on September 27 last year.

Pedestrian Chris Corder, 42, was seriously injured in the collision and remains in a coma at the Royal London Hospital.

Outside court his three elder sisters said Mr Corder is now in a "serious but stable" condition.

Today Boyd admitted the charge of dangerous driving but his defence barrister Chris Henley told the court the "dangerous part" related to his driving after the collision.

Mr Henley said a witness who saw Boyd driving before the crash said he was "not speeding or driving erratically".

"The driving prior to it was not dangerous," he said.

Mr Henley said there was a four-year-old sitting in the Daimler behind Boyd.

He said the child became distressed and when Boyd turned to offer comfort the accident occurred.

"He must have momentarily taken his eye off the road and at that moment Mr Corder must have stepped onto the road and very unfortunately the collision took place," said Mr Henley.

"The instinctive reaction of Mr Boyd was not to stop, he should have and he recognises that.

"The prosecution accept that the dangerous driving is him leaving the scene."

Boyd also admitted the summary charges of; failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision, driving without reasonable consideration, driving with no insurance, failing to report an accident and driving without a licence.

Adjourning sentence for a pre-sentence report, Judge David Goodin told Boyd: "The offences you pleaded guilty to are serious ones.

"It may very well be that custody is the only sentence for you."

He gave Boyd an interim driving disqualification and said he would be sentenced on February 24.