A 73-year-old professor has pleaded guilty to causing the death of an Ipswich motorcyclist by careless driving.

Edwin Candy, of Beach Road East, Felixstowe, admitted the offence when he appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court.

The victim, Duane Cook, died following a collision on March 29 last year on the A1156 at Nacton caused by Candy who was driving a Honda CRV.

Prosecutor Lucy Miller said Candy stopped at the scene and tried to help the father-of-six from King’s Way, Ipswich.

Mrs Miller said: “In a subsequent interview he said he had not seen the motorcycle. He couldn’t offer any explanations as to why that was the case.

“He was clearly very upset about what had happened as a result.”

The court heard Mr Cook was riding his Yamaha motorbike and “was there to be seen”.

The tragedy occurred shortly before 4.20pm on the Felixstowe Road at Nacton. Candy was driving away from Felixstowe and had stopped to give way at a junction with the A1156 intending to make a right-hand turn towards Ipswich.

Mr Cook, 43, was travelling towards Ipswich on the A1156. Candy’s vehicle crossed into the lane in which Mr Cook was travelling at around 50mph, well within the speed limit, when the collision occurred.

When a police officer prepared a collision report they said Candy’s view would have been partially blocked by traffic, although he would have had around 140 metres view in the direction Mr Cook was coming from - equating to around six seconds before the collision.

Mrs Miller said: “The defendant immediately stopped his vehicle, got out and did what he could to assist Mr Cook.

“Tragically it seems Mr Cook’s injuries caused him to be almost instantaneously dead at the scene.”

The court was told Candy, when interviewed, expressed his remorse to police for what had happened.

No representations were made on behalf of Candy at the hearing.

Magistrates underlined the case as “particularly tragic” because of Candy’s failure to observe Mr Cook’s motorcycle.

A decision will be made whether sentencing should take place at the magistrates’ court or the crown court after a pre-sentence report is compiled. The matter was adjourned until May 9.