A 20-year-old driver has been warned by a judge that he will be jailed after he pleaded guilty to causing the death of a talented Bradford student in a crash 17 months ago.

Joseph Robinson admitted causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

Carmel Hallam, 20, of Eccles-hill, Bradford, was travelling home in a Toyota taxi after a night out to celebrate the completion of her summer job when it was struck by a Rover car.

The accident happened in the early hours of Saturday, August 30, 2003, at the junction of Haworth Avenue and Swain House Road at Five Lane Ends, Bradford. She suffered fatal injuries and died the next day in Bradford Royal Infirmary - three days before what would have been her 21st birthday.

Miss Hallam, who was about to start her second year as a photography student at North-umbria University, Newcastle, had also twice taken part in the junior British Ice Dancing skating championships with her brother Stephen.

Robinson, of Blackpool, had been due to stand trial this week, but his barrister Sophie Drake said his lawyers contacted the court last week to notify them of his change of plea.

She asked for Robinson's sentence hearing to be adjourned until a report about him had been prepared. The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, granted Rob-inson bail pending his sentence, but told him that a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Judge Gullick said he was imposing an interim driving ban on Robinson and the length of that disqualification would be fixed by the judge who sentences him on February 21.

Last year Mark Jackson, 21, of Baildon, who is engaged to Carmel's cousin Beth Sidaway, 20, raised £1,850 for charity in her memory by cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End.

The money was divided between the Donor Family Support, Renal Support Unit and the Transplant Co-ordinator fund.