A 29-YEAR-OLD joiner who fled after leaving another driver seriously injured in a head-on crash had failed to stop after accidents on two previous occasions years ago, a court heard on Thursday.

James Leach, of Oak Road, Chelford, Macclesfield, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a smash between his Ford Ranger pick-up and a VW van on the A499 at Llandwrog in Gwynedd last Friday.

He also admitted failing to stop again.

Magistrates at Caernarfon heard he was driving towards Pwllheli and overtook vehicles. Ifan Price was severely injured and taken to hospital at Bangor after the smash which happened in the dark just after 5am.

Prosecutor Angharad Mullarkey said : "The defendant didn’t check on the welfare of the injured Mr Price. He simply fled the scene."

Leach had caught a bus to Pwllheli a few hours after the collision and took a taxi to a caravan.

"When police found him he claimed to have drunk only two pints, hours before driving, and that he was unaware another vehicle had been involved in the crash.

The lawyer said Mr Price needed a blood transfusion because of the blood loss, had broken ribs, a punctured lung and needed ten stitches.

In 2009 and 2010 Leach had convictions for careless driving and on both occasions failed to stop at the scene of an accident.

"You can see a pattern from that record,” the prosecutor added to the court.

Leach was bailed until sentencing at Caernarfon crown court on November 2.

An interim driving ban was imposed.

On Saturday a court heard Leach was a family man with his own joinery business. He had been working at Abersoch