A young motorist had to have his face rebuilt after a crash, a court was told yesterday.

Neil Lonsdale, 21, had titanium plating put in his face and jaw and he lost most of his teeth, said Carl Gumsley, defending.

Miner Mr Lonsdale was off work for nine months after the head-on crash on the A174 coast road near Staithes, Teesside Crown Court was told.

His Renault 5 GT Turbo was on the wrong side of the double white lines when it ploughed into a Fiat Punto, driven by Diane Andres. An Astra car behind her car also hit the Renault.

Mr Lonsdale was the only one seriously injured, said Shaun Dodds, prosecuting.

Mr Lonsdale told police: "All I can remember is going over the first dip and seeing a bright pair of lights and that's it."

Mr Dodds added: "He thought he was on the correct side of the road. The big question is why his vehicle was on the wrong side of the road?"

Mr Gumsley said: "We will never know what caused the momentary lapse of concentration and the consequences have largely been suffered by himself."

Mr Lonsdale, of Rosedale Lane, Port Mulgrave, pleaded guilty to careless driving on February 12 last year, and the Crown accepted his not guilty plea to dangerous driving.

Judge David Bryant told him: "You have already been punished very substantially for this matter in that you have lost your car, and even more importantly you have suffered severe, and no doubt, painful injuries."

The judge fined him £115 and ordered him to pay £585 prosecution costs.