Court told driver in crash which killed Jon O’Hara and another man was travelling at 60mph

Prosecutors claimed excess speed was a factor in Adrian Ursu’s car colliding with the other vehicle on the city’s Ravenhill Road last month.

Details emerged as the 32-year-old defendant was granted bail on conditions which include a complete prohibition on getting behind the wheel.

Belfast man Jon O’Hara, 47, and a second, publicly unidentified man, were both killed in the crash on January 22.

Another five people had to be taken to hospital following the collision between a Ford Focus and a Skoda Octavia.

Ursu, a Romanian national with an address at Doonbeg Drive in Newtownabbey, is charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, and two counts of causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving.

The taxi driver suffered serious back injuries, while another passenger remains in intensive care.

The case against Ursu is based on CCTV footage of his Ford allegedly veering across central lines and striking the Skoda heading in the opposite direction.

Mr O’Hara was a rear seat passenger in the taxi, while the other man who died had been in the back of the defendant’s vehicle. His name was not released at the request of his family.

A previous court heard Ursu allegedly spoke “nonchalantly” about drinking six beers earlier on the day of the accident.

As he applied for bail today, a prosecution barrister submitted that excess speed also played a part in what happened.

“Estimates of speed are given at around 60mph by the eye-witnesses,” she disclosed.

The court heard Ursu previously accumulated penalty points for motoring incidents where he was caught travelling at 89mph on the M2 motorway, and at 86mph in a 60mph zone.

Counsel argued that if released he may pose a risk to the general public.

“This man does not appear to understand that the rules of the road apply to him, and now we have fatal consequences to that, as alleged,” she added.

Ursu’s lawyers countered that he has lived in Northern Ireland for five years and should not be kept in custody just because of the seriousness of the charges.

Backing those submissions, Mr Justice O’Hara pointed out: “However dreadful this particular incident was, this isn’t a driving while disqualified applicant for bail.”

Ursu was granted bail on conditions including the lodgement of a £4,000 cash surety, alcohol prohibition and ban on entering south or east Belfast.

The judge also ordered: “He is not to drive any vehicle for any reason. He is allowed to be a passenger on public transport or in his partner’s car.