A man has appeared in court accused of killing two people by dangerous driving.
Standing in Newtownards Magistrates Court, 20-year-old Charles Hugh Macartney confirmed he was aware of the two charges against him.
Macartney, from Manse Court in Ards, is accused of causing the deaths of Dean and Sandra Weir by driving dangerously on the Dunover Road in Ballywalter on March 17 last year.
Fifty-two-year-old Dean Weir was the driver of a white Suzuki Alto which was involved in a collision with a blue Nissan Micra on the Dunover Road shortly before 9am.
It is understood that Mr Weir was living in Portavogie, but was originally from Bangor.
Macartney, who was allegedly driving the Nissan and a female passenger in the Suzuki, understood to be Sandra Weir, were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries but tragically, she later died.
None of the facts surrounding the collision were opened in court today.
Freeing Macartney on bail, District Judge Mark Hamill returned the case to Downpatrick Crown Court, ordering him to appear for his arraignment on February 5.
