A 21-year-old drink-driver who crashed into a tree on a country lane, killing his best friend, has been warned he could be facing jail.

David Lelo was twice the legal alcohol limit when the late-night accident happened next to Queendown nature reserve at Warren Lane, Hartlip, near Sittingbourne, on April 2.

Lelo admitted causing the death of Owen Fowler, 20, by careless driving while over the prescribed limit when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court.

Lelo, of Woodside, Gillingham, was giving Mr Owen, known to his friends as Fonzy, a lift home in his Vauxhall Vectra car.

The victim, a roofer who lived with his grandparents in Glenwood Close, Hempstead, Gillingham, had become engaged to Claire Thrower, his girlfriend of seven years.

Peter Walmsley, defending, said the effect of the tragedy on Lelo had been considerable. “It was his best friend in the car who died,” he said. “Remorse has been felt right from the start. He is not driving any more. There is clear inevitability with regards to a custodial sentence.”

Adjourning sentence for reports until January 14, Judge Jeremy Carey told Lelo: “As your counsel has recognised and I make it absolutely plain to you, it has been stated by higher courts that as a matter of generality this kind of offence attracts a custodial sentence of some length.

“You should be in no doubt about that. Despite what I have said, the court’s options remain open. I grant unconditional bail, but don’t allow that to lull you into a false sense of security.”