A 33-year-old man from Armagh has been returned for trial at Newry Crown Court after being accused of causing the deaths of a father and son in a serious collision on the Killylea Road.
Ivan Petrov, of Newry Road, Armagh, faces two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and three counts of causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving. The charges relate to a crash on December 27, 2024, involving a vehicle allegedly driven by Petrov.
Deaths and injuries after December collision
Peter Devlin, aged 63, and his 28-year-old son, Loughlin Devlin, from Killylea, were travelling in the same car when it was involved in the collision. Both men lost their lives.
Peter’s wife, Ursula Devlin, sustained serious injuries in the incident. Another woman and a young baby were also taken to hospital for treatment, according to the court report.
The case was listed before Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Newry, on Tuesday. A prosecution lawyer told the court there was a prima facie case to answer, meaning the prosecution said there was sufficient evidence for the matter to proceed. The defence made no contrary submissions.
Next hearing set for October
When asked in court whether he wished to respond to the charges, Petrov said: “I’m sorry this happened.”
District Judge Peter Magill directed that Petrov be returned for arraignment at Newry Crown Court on October 12. At that hearing, he is expected either to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges.
The proceedings concern allegations arising from the December 2024 collision. The charges remain allegations, and the court process will determine how the case proceeds.