Antrim footballer Kavan Keenan has admitted causing serious injury to a pedestrian in a hit-and-run.
Keenan was rearraigned on four of the six charges against him at Antrim Crown Court.
The 26-year-old, from Millfield, Ballymena in Co Antrim, admitted causing grievous bodily injury by driving carelessly on Glenravel Road in Martinstown on 26 October 2024.
He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, as well as failing to report and failing to remain following an accident which caused injury.
Following Keenan's admissions, prosecuting counsel Suzanne Gallagher asked for the two remaining offences, aggravated vehicle theft and failing to stop, to be marked as left on the books.
The charges arise after Keenan struck a pedestrian while driving a Peugeot Partner van on Glenravel Road just before 9pm on Saturday 26 October 2024.
At the time, it was reported that a woman in her 30s, sustained "potentially life-changing" injuries as a result of the hit-and-run.
The allegedly stolen van was recovered later that night and it was found to have sustained frontal damage.
Following the rearraignment, Ms Gallagher told Judge Peter Irvine that given the pleas, there is a mandatory disqualification "and I would invite the court to impose that from today".
Defence counsel Patrick Taggart conceded that when Keenan is ultimately sentenced, he will be banned "and you will be able to determine the length of that ban".
"But there are other factors to be considered in sentence," he told the judge, adding that his client "is in full-time employment and his job is at risk" if he was put off the road from now.
Judge Irvine confirmed: "I am not going to impose that".
While Mr Taggart asked the court to direct a pre-sentence report from the Probation Board, Ms Gallagher said she would also be furnishing a victim statement in addition to expert medical reports.
She added that while those reports have been obtained for the parallel civil proceedings, "they could be of assistance" in the plea and sentence.
Keenan, who plays for his county as well as Antrim league team All Saints Gaelic Athletic Club, was released on continuing bail.
Judge Irvine said that he would deal with the case on 6 February.
