A Powys man was almost twice the drink drive limit when he "rammed" a motorcyclist in a moment of blind rage that has drastically affected his victim's life.

Clifford Fix, 67, pleaded guilty to drink driving and dangerous driving after a motorcycle rider was knocked off his bike when he was struck by Fix's Ford Mondeo.

Welshpool Magistrates' Court heard that the victim had been riding with a group of motorcyclists and a tour guide between Llangollen and Llanfyllin at about 2.30pm on October 10 2021.

Witnesses saw the Ford in the middle of the road, nearly hitting one of the motorcyclists, and noticed that the driver looked like he wasn't paying any attention.

"Ten minutes later riders started beeping their horns to say that an out of control vehicle was coming from behind," said prosecutor Justin Espie.

The car bumped into the victim's tyre which the motorcyclist first thought was an accident until the car went into the side of the motorcycle. The court heard that the victim placed his leg on the car bonnet to avoid his leg going into the wheel, before going over his handlebars and landing heavily on his back onto a steep grass embankment.

"Other witnesses saw the Ford appearing to be ramming into him," Mr Espie added.

After stopping the car in the middle of the road, Fix told the motorcyclists that "something happened two years ago and the police were after us and we were not road legal".

The court was told that Fix smelt of alcohol and was slurring his speech. He was breathalysed which gave a reading of 69 microgrammes of alcohol. The legal limit is 35mgs.

A victim impact statement read in court by the prosecutor said that the injured motorcyclist did not want Fix to go to prison.

"The nightmare started the next morning when I was in agony," he said. "I felt drunk and disorientated. I was concerned that I was confused and I had slurred speech. I went straight to hospital because I thought I had a bleed on the brain.

"I struggle to sleep and I dream that I'm going to be killed. I was probably suffering from swelling on the brain caused by post-traumatic concussion. It was affected my life drastically.

"I'm unable to say when I will recover from this. It has affected my life. Life is much more difficult since this situation.

"At first I was angry but I have thought about it and I do not want the other party to go to prison."

Sion ap Mihangel, acting for Fix, said the 68-year-old was caring for his terminally ill wife at the time of the incident.

"He was making his own alcohol," Mr ap Mihangel said. "He was drinking from a coffee mug, topping it up with whisky. He didn't know how much. It was an indication of the stresses and strains he was under at the time."

He said he had experienced a confrontation with a motorcyclist outside his home previously.

Mr ap Mihangel added: "It was a narrow road and there wasn't much room. He made a foolish decision to turn around and follow them. His intention was to get their registration plates. When he was spoken to nine days after the incident and shown damage to the car, he accepted that there must have been blind rage. He is a man of some age with no antecedence history and has shown genuine remorse.

"He is notably frail but he is also receiving CT scans because he has been complaining of double vision which has exacerbated since his wife died. There may be cognitive issues with his brain. He has told me also that he hasn't driven since the incident."

Magistrates adjourned sentencing until June 21 for medical reports at Welshpool Magistrates' Court. Fix, of Bwlch-y-ddar, Llanfyllin, was given an interim disqualification from driving.