A man is set to plead guilty to causing the death of 82-year-old cyclist Thelma Byard in Stroud, according to his lawyer.

Although 39-year-old Michael Burke from King’s Stanley intends to plead guilty to death by dangerous driving, his lawyer told a judge at Gloucester Crown Court on July 12, he was requesting an adjournment and asked that the charges should not be put to him yet.

Lawyer Steven Young said there had been issues with gaining legal aid due to his client’s status of self-employment ahead of his first appearance at the Gloucester court.

He also said that as the matter had been expedited from the magistrates court some paperwork had only just been served on him by the prosecution.

“I was expecting to be entering a guilty plea today,” Mr Young told the Judge, but he argued those factors meant it was proper for him to ask for a short adjournment.

Michael Burke was charged with causing the death of Thelma Byard, who suffered serious injuries after a crash at Cainscross and was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, by dangerous driving on Friday, June 29.

His lawyer said he would be obtaining reports from mental health services and also from an organisation called Change, Grow, Live that provides drug and alcohol services in the county.

Mr Young said Mr Burke had no recollection of the collision but accepted the prosecution case against him.

The judge noted Mr Burke was "very substantially over the alcohol limit at the time".

Mr Young said he also wanted to explore part of the collision investigation report which indicated that Mr Burke was "driving on the wrong side of the road".

“It seems bizarre,” Mr Young said.

“Until you factor in the alcohol,” the Judge Michael Cullm replied.

The judge said he would grant the adjournment in the circumstances as: “It would not be in the interests of justice to force the entry of a guilty plea.

“I am satisfied that the adjournment requested does not delay matters at all.

“All it means is that the entering of the plea will be on August 9,” he said.

The judge said that if Mr Burke entered a guilty plea on that day he would also be sentenced then, with the assistance of reports that were already being prepared.

The judge said if Burke had pleaded guilty today, he would have had to adjourn until August 9 for those reports, hence this adjournment did not cause additional delay.

In the early hours of April 23, Mrs Byard, of Hunters Way, Stroud, was riding her bike on her way to see her son. She suffered serious injuries and was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol but later died.

Last month Mrs Byard's family issued a statement saying she was a "fit, active and caring woman" and she was on her way to help her son when she was killed.

The family said: “Thelma was a much-loved lady who will be sorely missed by her family and friends.

"She was a very active lady that devoted a great deal of her time to helping others, which is what she was on her way to do when this tragically happened.

"We are thankful for the kindness and support we have received from the emergency services, hospital staff and people we don’t even know who have expressed their shock and sorrow.

"We are truly devastated and would like to be given time to come to terms with our loss."