A POLICE officer warned speeding driver Darren Vout that he would kill someone.

Less than an hour later, he ran over and killed a father of four, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.

Vout, who had never taken a driving test, was stopped by a traffic patrolman and ticked off for his reckless behaviour.

Soon afterwards, his speeding BMW ran down Frederick Brown on a crossing near the Hardwick Social Club, in Harrowgate Lane, Stockton, last August 27, the jury was told.

Mr Brown, 29, of Stockton, died of multiple injuries in North Tees Hospital, an hour after the accident. Vout, who had taken drugs and alcohol before taking to the road, drove away from the scene.

Vout, 25, of Elwick Gardens, Stockton, changed his plea to guilty to causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs. An alternative charge of causing death by dangerous driving was withdrawn.

Judge Peter Armstrong adjourned sentence for two weeks for reports and remanded Vout in custody.

Stephen Ashurst, prosecuting, told the court that Vout had a string of 120 previous convictions in the past 11 years.

He had been rushing home to meet a bail curfew imposed as he awaited trial for unrelated offences when he struck Mr Brown.

The court had heard earlier that Vout admitted he had taken three lines of heroin, smoked a joint and drunk a pint of cider before the crash.

Michael Bowerman, for Vout, said his client had never sat a driving test and only held a provisional licence.

On the day that Vout is sentenced for causing the death of Mr Brown, he will also be sentenced for two house burglaries in Stockton, which he has admitted.

These are the offences for which he was on bail, on the night Mr Brown was killed.