A man was driving over the legal limit for drugs and alcohol when he killed a cyclist on a major Bolton road, a court heard.

Sam Hughes, 32, had been driving a VW Polo on Chorley New Road, Lostock, on May 5 last year when he caused a collision that killed 52-year-old cyclist Lee Rayner.

A brief hearing at Bolton Crown Court this week heard how Hughes had confessed to causing Mr Rayner’s death by driving while over the proscribed limit for drugs and alcohol and will be brought back to learn his fate at a later date.

Addressing the defence, Judge Abigail Hudson said: “I will direct that a pre-sentence report be prepared but I’m sure your client is aware that these are very serious matters and it is almost inevitable that a custodial sentence will follow.”

The Bolton News: The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

The court heard from prosecutor David Lees how Hughes, of Daffodil Road in Farnworth, had pleaded guilty to causing death by due care while over the proscribed limit for drugs and alcohol at a previous hearing on October 9.

Mr Lees said: “A decision has been made that those pleas are acceptable.”

Rachel White, defending, said she accepted this as well but agreed that a pre-sentencing report should be prepared first.

She said: “Your honour will note that he’s a young man with no previous convictions.”

Multiple roads, including A58 Victoria, Beaumont Road in both directions and Chorley New Road, were closed for a total of around 11 hours on May 5, 2022 while police carried out their enquiries.

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The incident is believed to have happened at around 4.50am at the junction between Chorley New Road and Victoria Road.

Officers later found the car involved in the collision with Mr Rayer and arrested Hughes.

An inquest into Mr Rayner’s death opened in May 2022 and tributes paid to him heard how he was a “really nice guy”, known as a “massive Liverpool fan”, who had just bought a ticket for that season’s FA Cup final.

Hughes will be brought back before Bolton Crown Court to be sentenced on Wednesday January 10 next year.