TEENAGE passengers pleaded with a drink driver to slow down just minutes before he crashed off the road, killing a 13-year-old boy, a court heard.

Karl Thomson, 24, was due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court yesterday after admitting causing death by dangerous driving, drink driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

The hearing was adjourned after a dispute about whether he attempted to flee the scene of the smash, in Preston New Road, Samlesbury, and deny he was the driver.

Judge Christopher Cornwall is expected to set a new date on Friday. Rachael Woods, prosecuting, told the court Thomson set off to Blackpool after having four or five drinks with his four teenage passengers, Gary Steele, 17, Amanda Whipp, 16, his brother Damien, 17, and Shane Cook, 13, on the night of March 15.

They were all in a Ford Orion he had bought for £45 from a traveller just days earlier, despite the fact that he was banned from driving until January 2006 for previous incidents of drink driving and driving while disqualified.

Miss Woods said Thomson drove to a petrol station in Bolton Road, Blackburn, and left without paying for the fuel. He then crashed into a bridge in Hollin Bridge Street and drove the wrong way down a one-way street before reaching Preston New Road.

She said: "Gary Steele remembers Karl Thomson accelerating in an attempt to catch up with the vehicle ahead and the others shouting at the driver to slow down.

"As the car overtook another car, the rear end slid as he lost control."

Shane was killed on impact when the car crashed, at 1.30am on March 16. Gary Steele suffered whiplash, Karl Thomson had cuts to his head and Amanda Whipp and Damien Thomson sustained head injuries. Miss Woods said witnesses suggested Thomson had told a police officer he had been a rear seat passenger, tried to make up the name of another driver and asked another motorist to take him away from the scene.

Ian Dacre, defending, said Thomson knew it was a serious case but "didn't accept" the suggestion he had attempted to leave or told police he was a rear seat passenger. Judge Christopher Cornwall said he adjourned the case "regretfully" and added: "This only increases the distress of Shane's parents." Shane's father Wayne, 40, of Leigh, said: "We are disappointed he wasn't sentenced today."

Shane was in care at Anchor House children's home, Anchor Avenue, Darwen, and was breaking his curfew at the time of the accident, at 1.30am. His father has since slammed a report into the actions of Blackburn with Darwen Council social services, claiming it failed to deal with key questions about his son's care.