The 1st story -
This story is from the Belfast Telegraph
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=663275
It seems that speed, drink and no seatbelt were the mitigating factors however the family of the deceased insist that the car was defective (engine cutting out)
29 September 2005
A 39-year-old company director was killed after losing control of his 70k Maserati sports car in Co Tyrone, an inquest has heard.
Brian McMullan, of Waterview, Old Eglish Road, Dungannon, had twice the legal limit of alcohol in his body at the time of the crash and was not wearing a seat belt.
The family of the former director of Coalisland-based Chieftain Trailers insisted there had been serious problems with the car leading up to the crash.
Coroner David Hunter said that while he could not rule out that a defect may have contributed to the collision, he had no evidence to suggest that it did.
It is understood police spent thousands of pounds bringing the car to the Transport Research Laboratory in England, in light of the family's claims.
Mr McMullan's widow, Siobhan, said in a police statement that her husband left her home in Westland Drive, Coalisland at around 10.30pm on Sunday, November 17, 2002.
The couple had dinner together and watched television before he left for his own address at Dungannon.
Eyewitnesses told the inquest that they saw a blue Maserati car on the Cookstown Road overtaking a number of cars at speed at around 11pm.
The court heard that the coupe car pulled in sharply in front of a Subaru Impreza.
The coroner was told the Maserati then struck the left-hand grass verge, span out of control and rolled across the other side of the carriageway, through a hedge and down a 15-foot verge.
The first police officer on the scene said he found the car on its roof with Mr McMullan lying outside with a large pool of blood beside his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Both Mr McMullan's brother and his business partner said that he had complained about the car cutting out and was worried that it might happen at a higher speed sometime.
The car had been in with Charles Hurst Motors in Belfast for up to three weeks for repairs, the inquest heard.
A number of experts in England concluded after tests that there were no obvious defects with the car that would explain a sudden loss of control.
The coroner said Mr McMullan died a very rapid death from major head injuries and suggested that had he been wearing a seat belt, the injuries might not have been fatal
