A teenager has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a mother by driving dangerously.

Dylan Jenkin, 18, a prisoner of YOI Polmont in Stirlingshire, was trying to avoid arrest when he lost control of Ford Ka and hit mother-of-one Jill Pirrie, 33, on Old Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, on May 12.

He fled the scene and did not hand himself in until the following day.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Monday that Ms Pirrie was walking home after finishing her shift at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary when the vehicle collided with her.

Jenkin, who only held a provisional driving licence, had earlier failed to stop for police officers who were trying to stop him for driving without having any insurance for the car.

The court heard she was struck from behind and was thrown against a wall, causing her to suffer fractured ribs and severe chest and head injuries.

She was taken to the royal infirmary where staff battled in vain to save their colleague's life.

Jenkin ran off from the scene and did not give himself up for another day.

He later turned up to the hospital for treatment and confessed he was responsible for taking Ms Pirrie's life.

Prosecution lawyer Alex Prentice QC said: "On the morning of Saturday, May 14, while the accused was being treated, he was asked if he knew why the police were present.

"He indicated that it was because of the crash and admitted involvement.

"He broke down, started crying and repeatedly said 'I didn't mean to kill her'.

"He acknowledged that the police had been behind him when he was driving the car. He maintained that the brakes had failed.

"He started crying again and continually said he was sorry."

Road traffic collision investigators examined the vehicle and found no defects which would have caused or contributed to the collision.

Jenkin wept as Mr Prentice told the court about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Mr Prentice told the court: "She was a much-loved mother, daughter and partner who leaves behind her five-year-old son Matthew, who is now in the full-time custody of his father."

The QC told the court that Jenkin and a friend had bought the car for £40 from a man who advertised it internet sales site Gumtree.

During the afternoon of May 12, Jenkin drove the car around Edinburgh with a number of passengers.

Around 7.45pm that night, two police officers saw Jenkin driving the car on Milton Road.

Mr Prentice said the Ka was "in a state of disrepair" and officers checked the Police National Computer because they were suspicious about the vehicle.

After discovering that the vehicle was not insured and the DVLA had been notified that it was off road, they asked for assistance.

A BMW traffic police car responded and requested Jenkin to stop the car on the A7 road close to a park and ride facility.

Mr Prentice said: "The accused failed to stop the vehicle and accelerated away from the police. The police officers informed the control room that the vehicle had failed to stop and was now being pursued.

"Jenkin continued to accelerate northwards on the A7. He continued at a grossly excessive speed towards Danderhall at the junction with Newton Church Road."

Several witnesses noticed the car speeding down Old Dalkeith Road and overtaking other vehicles.

A dog walker had to "take evasive action" by running back to the pavement when she saw the Ka travelling towards her.

The court heard Jenkin lost control when he was trying to turn left into Kingston Avenue and skidded across the junction, hitting Ms Pirrie from behind and throwing her against the wall.

Pedestrians ran to her aid while they waited paramedics to arrive, while Jenkin and a passenger fled the scene.

Officers established that Jenkin had been driving the car and made several attempts to find him.

At 5pm on the following day, Jenkin turned up at the hospital with his solicitor.

While being treated for a cracked rib and bruising, he confessed that he had been driving the car.

Defence advocate Brian McConnachie QC told the court he would reserve his plea of mitigation until the sentencing hearing.

Jenkin pleaded guilty to causing Ms Pirrie's death by driving dangerously and other traffic offences before judge Lord McEwan.

The judge had been told that Ms Pirrie's family were grieving over the loss.

Lord McEwan deferred sentence until August 8 for the court to obtain reports.

Chief superintendent Kenny Macdonald, Edinburgh's divisional police commander said: "Dylan Jenkin was convicted following a robust investigation by the inquiry team and demonstrates our determination to bring those responsible for offences to justice.

"The tragic consequences of Dylan Jenkin's reckless behaviour cannot be reversed but I sincerely hope this conviction will give Jill Pirrie's family some sense of justice having been carried out.

"We have reported the circumstances that preceded this collision to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and in turn they have instructed the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) to carry out an independent investigation, as is standard practice in incidents such as these.

"PIRC are instructed to investigate deaths following police contact or involvement, and we are cooperating fully with their inquiry."