The driver in an accident that killed a young woman has admitted careless driving.

Natasha Jackson was killed on Christmas Day last year in a head-on crash.

Yesterday, Martyn Crew admitted causing the 21-year-old's death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Judge Michael Stokes QC ordered a Newton Hearing, also known as a trial of issue, to see if it could be determined what happened in the moments before the accident.

Prosecutors say Crew either momentarily fell asleep or lost concentration. Crew (52), of San Carlos, California, does not accept that he fell asleep.

Speaking after the hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, Natasha's mum, Ann, of Beaumont Green, Groby, said: "We're just so pleased it's going further.

"I think what happened in court shocked Martyn Crew.

"I think he thought he was just going to be let off with a fine.

"This is not finished with yet, but whatever happens it is not going to bring Natasha back."

Natasha, a former Brookvale High School student, finished a media production degree at De Montfort University last year and was due to get married.

She was driving to see family on Christmas Day along the A46 in Kinoulton, Nottinghamshire, when the collision between her Vauxhall Corsa and Crew's hired silver Nissan Acenta happened.

The judge said she was driving perfectly normally at the time and her family wept as he told the court: "It looks to me that he [Crew] nodded off briefly. He is used to driving on the right hand side in America.

"He says he veered to the left, and headed on to the wrong side of the road."

The outcome of the trial of issue would affect the type of sentence Crew would receive.

A date has not been set for this hearing.

Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said: "The prosecution's case is that this defendant, having travelled from the US on a transatlantic flight with his two children, hired a car from Heathrow.

"He was driving to Lincolnshire on the A46 and veered on to the wrong side of the road."

She added he either momentarily fell asleep or lost concentration, but the Crown could not say which one of those it was because he does not accept that he fell asleep.

Firefighters cut Natasha free and she was airlifted to Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, but died soon afterwards.

Crew's two children were in his car and were treated for minor injuries.