A man who had previously denied killing a great-grandad by dangerous driving has changed his plea to guilty.
Dental surgeon and grandfather-of-four Tom Wallace died in a hit-and-run on the A289 Gads Hill in Gillingham, Kent at around 12.10pm on December 29.
On Friday, Albert Matraxhiu, of Orange Hill, Edgware, admitted a lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.
However, yesterday he changed his plea to guilty at Maidstone Crown Court.
He also admitted driving without insurance, without a licence, failing to stop, and failing to report an accident.
His defence barrister, Laurence Imrie, explained Matraxhiu wanted to enter the guilty plea, after admitting a lesser charge of causing Mr Wallace’s death by careless driving on Friday.
At the time of Matraxhiu admitting a lesser charge, prosecutor Ryan Richter said this was ‘unacceptable’ to the Crown and called for a trial on the more serious dangerous driving charge.
Judge Julian Smith agreed, and a five-day trial had been set to start on July 13 but will no longer go ahead after the change in plea.
Matraxhiu, 29, has also admitted perverting the course of justice, and co-defendant Erald Paci, 29, of Five Way Court in Chatham, admitted the same charge.
Dental surgeon and grandfather-of-four Tom Wallace died in a hit-and-run on the A289 Gads Hill in Gillingham at around 12.10pm on December 29
The driver of the Mercedes, 29-year-old Albert Matraxhiu (pictured), has changed his plea to guilty
Passenger, Erald Paci, 29, of Five Way Court in Chatham, (pictured) admitted the charge of perverting the course of justice
Both men have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on March 20 at Maidstone Crown Court by Judge Smith.
Mr Wallace, a dad-of-three who worked in the Medway Towns all his working life, was hit by a Mercedes estate car near the junction of Gads Hill and Waterside Lane.
He was allegedly carried on the roof of the vehicle for one and a half miles before he was found fatally injured in the road.
The men, who are both Albanian nationals, abandoned the car they were in and took the number plates from it after it struck Mr Wallace, the court heard.
The car was located nearby and the two occupants fled on foot, police previously added.
A postman and nearby resident rushed to Mr Wallace’s aid but was later pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
His family later shared their thanks to the residents and postman who tried to help in Grange Road, describing them as ‘compassionate and kind’.
They also paid tribute to the grandfather-of-four who had been married for 63 years and had become a great-grandad just before his death.
‘He loved his family dearly and was loved by them in return,’ they said.
‘He sailed his boat up and down the east coast, and across the Channel to France, usually single-handed.
‘For years, he was a bell-ringer at the church on Gillingham Green. He was a Samaritan for many years, raised money for the NSPCC and undertook several European cycling tours to raise funds for Marie Curie.
‘He was a respected and loved member of the community and deserved a better end to his life than this.’
