A motorist has told a court that a "sneezing fit" caused him to veer across the road and have a head-on crash with another car.

Gavin Charleton, 61, had been driving a Citroen Relay van in Yarmouth Road, Blofield, when he suddenly moved across the road and hit an oncoming vehicle.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard a passenger in the other car, a 90-year-old man, suffered "life-changing injuries" as a result of the crash, on January 27 this year.

Abubakar Mohammad, prosecuting, said the man and the driver, an 82-year-old woman, both suffered multiple fractures in the collision.

The court heard Charleton's driving fell below the standard of a competent and careful driver.

Charleton, of Orchard Close, Blofield, appeared in court on Monday (August 15) when he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention.

Representing himself in court, Charleton said: "I had a sneezing fit and lost control of my vehicle and I had the collision."

Charleton, who insists he had kept to the 30mph speed limit at the time of the crash, said he was unable to brake or veer off to the left but instead veered across the road "because I was sneezing so much".

He said: "I was just crouched up sneezing, I didn't even know I had crossed the road until I had the collision."

He said he had apologised to the occupants of the other vehicle at the scene.

In terms of the injuries both victims had suffered, Charleton, who himself suffered seat-belt bruising, said: "I wouldn't want that on anyone."

Charleton said he was a recovering alcoholic and had since had his licence revoked by the DVLA which meant he lost his job which he had earned £50,000 a year from.

He has since found temporary work as a store assistant and has work until October.

Charleton had his licence endorsed with six penalty points and was ordered to pay a total of £223, including an £84 fine and £105 costs.