A motorist who left a schoolgirl from Corsham fighting for her life after a horror smash has been warned he could be jailed.

Jake Taylor pleaded guilty to dangerous driving when he appeared before a judge at Swindon crown court.

The 21-year-old had been behind the wheel of a Ford Focus when it crashed into a wall outside Chippenham Hospital two years ago.

Leonie Newbury, who is now 16 and who was a rear seat passenger, had to be cut free from the car by the fire brigade and was in a coma for three weeks.

Taylor, of Shaw Hill, Melksham, had denied a charge of dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.

But he changed his plea to guilty before a jury could be sworn on what was to be the first day of a trial.

Brendan Moorhouse, defending, told the judge that prosecutors had been informed in advance that his client would change his plea so witnesses need not attend.

He said Taylor had pleaded guilty to the charge on the basis of an argument which had been submitted to the court in writing.

Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case to Friday March 19 to allow the probation service time to compile a pre-sentence report.

But he warned Taylor, who he also banned from the road pending sentence, that he could be facing a jail term when he is sentenced next month.

"I am going to ask for the report to consider all options," he told him.

Leonie, then aged 14, suffered serious head and internal injuries in the crash which took place just after 11pm on November 9, 2008.

She sustained a fractured skull, broken back and broken pelvis and several internal injuries including a damaged spleen, stomach and bowel.

But within two months, she had almost completely recovered and is now back in classes at The Corsham School.