THE families of a couple killed in a crash spoke of their devastation yesterday after a 60-year-old woman admitted responsibility for the accident.

John Lynch and Kirsteen Mulford were riding a motor cycle through Fife to visit friends when Lauretta Spink's car crashed into them as she drove on the wrong side of the road.

Yesterday the families arrived at Cupar Sheriff Court to hear what happened, but Lauretta Joyce Kennedy or Spink, of Wards Avenue, Carnoustie, tendered a last-minute plea of guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. Sentence was deferred until June 18 for background reports.

Mr Lynch, 27, was driving with Miss Mulford, 24, pillion when the accident happened at about 3pm on September 28 last year on the Glenrothes to Dundee road. They had set up home together in Dundee's Baxter Park Terrace.

Both sets of parents, Tony and Myra Lynch and Leonard and Cecilia Mulford, were in court along with John's brother, Brian, and three of Kirsteen's five brothers and sisters.

Mrs Lynch, 50, said: ''I could not have sat through the trial. I am just glad she changed her plea. I just wish she had done it sooner. But nothing can bring him back. There are an awful lot of people missing them - both of them.

''My husband can't speak about this at all. It has torn us all apart. The whole family rides motor bikes. His father got his first bike when he was 16 - we have always had them.

''It was not the motor bike that killed him. It was the car. Everybody sees a motor bike accident and blames it on the motor bike, but it was the car.''

Miss Mulford's mother, Cecilia, 62, said: ''We were prepared to go through the ordeal of the trial, but we are thankful she has admitted her guilt. It was incomprehensible to us that she could plead not guilty.

She added: ''They are in our thoughts all the time. They had a great many friends as well as family and relatives. The grief is very widespread among us all.''

Miss Mulford's brother, Fraser, said: ''The family are just relieved she admitted her guilt. Given the weight of evidence we are glad that this is what happened and that she has finally seen sense.

''These were young people, who enjoyed life and were outgoing. It has hit the family terribly, but this is part of the healing process.

''The family are not particularly interested in getting her a severe sentence. All we are interested in is that the truth should come out and the fact that she has pled guilty saves everyone from having to go through the whole thing again.

''We are not after a punitive sentence. We are paying more attention to the fact that she was to blame. That is what my parents were after.''

Fraser Mulford was joined in court by his sisters, Morag and Sheila. Their two brothers Andrew, who lives in England, and Stewart, who is in America, were unable to be there.

At her home in Carnoustie last night Lauretta Spink refused to comment on the case.