A motorist today pleaded guilty to mowing down a serving soldier outside a night club on New Year's Day.

Hamza Ali Hussain, 23, ploughed his Mercedes into 21-year-old father-to-be Joshua Adams-Mitchell, who was hospitalised with devastating injuries.

Appearing via video link from HMP Leeds, Hussain spoke only to confirm his name, age, nationality and give his guilty plea.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Mr Adams-Mitchell, an army serviceman, may lose sight in one of his eyes and have to abandon his career as a result of the attack on January 1.

Hussain will be sentenced for grievous bodily harm with intent in Leeds on March 11, by which time the court will have been provided CCTV footage of the incident.

Judge Guy Kearl QC, presiding over the hearing, said: "You have pleaded guilty to this matter, which is a serious matter and it will inevitably lead to a significant prison sentence."

Hussain was arrested on January 1 following an altercation at the TBC bar and night club in Batley.

It's alleged that an argument began inside the venue and then spilled outside into the street at around 5am.

Mr Adams-Mitchell was then knocked down by a blue Mercedes driven by Hussain, who fled the scene but was arrested soon after.

Police say the incident was a deliberate attack but have ruled out a racial or terror-related motive.

The full circumstances leading to the point at which the victim was struck by the vehicle are yet to be disclosed.

According to his sister Emma Louise Adams, who started a crowdfunding campaign that's raised £17,500, Mr Adams-Mitchell suffered a bleed to his brain in the collision.

Her GoFundMe page said he had a pregnant girlfriend at the time of the incident, which came while he was on leave from the army.