Undertaker Colin Phillips is to appear at the crown court on a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and for sentence on a charge of driving with excess alcohol.

The 50-year-old funeral director, of Postgwyn, Eglwyswrw, who was represented by Maggie Hughes, appeared at Ceredigion Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

He was charged with driving an Audi A6 with excess alcohol on the A487 road south of Cardigan on the evening of Saturday, November 2 last year. He was said to have 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35.

Phillips was also charged with causing serious injury to another motorist by driving the Audi dangerously.

Crown prosecutor Gerald Neave said that in a collision between the Audi and a Land Rover Freelander, driver Hazel James suffered a double fracture of her femur, a broken wrist and a broken left big toe. She underwent surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

Ms Hughes, explained to the bench that the charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving was a relatively new one introduced by legislation last year and there were no sentencing or trial guidelines.

Going on to say that she was not in a position to advise her client on the charge because she had not received advance disclosures from the Crown Prosecution Service she said the situation was “totally unacceptable.”

The matter was put back for 25 minutes while a copy of the advance disclosures was obtained for the defence and when the case resumed Ms Hughes said her client would plead guilty to the drink/drive charge but was not in a position to enter a plea on the second charge without full and proper disclosures.

After Mr Neave submitted that the case was not suitable for summary trial the magistrates declined jurisdiction and Phillips is to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (January 17).

He was given an interim driving disqualification.