A teenager died after sustaining a head injury in a crash caused by his friend driving dangerously on a country road.

William Sangster, 19, was killed in the collision between Adam Youngson's car and a tree in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, in November 2014.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Wednesday how another car being driven by Scott Neil, 19, came close to the back of Youngson's red Ford Fiesta moments before the crash.

Youngson reacted by accelerating away from Neil's car. However, Neil then broke the speed limit to keep up with Youngson, who had passed his driving test four months earlier.

But Youngson ignored his passengers' requests for him to drive carefully and lost control of his vehicle, causing it to leave the road.

Mr Sangster, of Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire, was a backseat passenger in Mr Youngson's car.

Fire and Rescue staff had to cut him free but doctors pronounced him dead at the scene. His sister Nicole was also present in the car at the time of the incident.

Youngson, of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, pleaded guilty before judge Lady Wolffe to causing Mr Sangster's death by driving dangerously on the A950 New Pitsligo to Mintlaw Road near to Aden Country Park.

His co-accused Neil, of Stuartfield, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving at excessive and inappropriate speeds on the B9030 road.

Judge Lady Wolffe told the two accused that she would defer sentence on them for the court to obtain reports. She added: "It is important for me to be fully informed about all the circumstances concerning this incident."

Neil's defence counsel Gavin Anderson told Lady Wolffe that he would give his mitigation at the sentencing hearing.

Mr Youngson's solicitor advocate Shahid Latif told the court that he would also reserve his mitigation to the sentencing hearing.

But he added: "My client at this stage wishes to offer his sincere apologies to the family, friends and anybody who has been affected by the death of Mr Sangster."

Both Neil and Youngson will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 1.