A driver who crashed and killed his five-year-old daughter and brother-in-law was breaking the speed limit as he overtook three vehicles before losing control, a court has heard.

Carlos Rodrigues, of West End, Witney, pleaded not guilty yesterday (October 3) to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Witnesses at the trial at Oxford Crown Court described seeing the 31-year-old overtaking at around 70mph before his Peugeot 306 fishtailed out of control into oncoming traffic on the A415 towards Standlake on September 7 last year.

His daughter Sonia Dines Figuiers Rodrigues, five, and brother-in-law Jose Avelino Dinis Figuiera, 22 both died in the crash.

Forensics experts told the court Mr Rodrigues' car had a flat back tyre and reckless driving would have caused it to lose control.

At the scene of the accident Mr Rodrigues initially denied to police he was the driver, the court heard.

John Dennis, prosecuting, said that assessments made from tyre skids marks indicated the speed of the Peugeot when it crashed into a Volkswagen Polo coming in the opposite direction was 52 mph.

He added: "The defendant was driving substantially in excess of 52 miles per hour. Witnesses describe him as travelling at a speed of 70 to 80 miles per hour.

"He overtook a lorry and in front of this was a minibus. He also overtook this vehicle, whose driver slowed down to let him in.

"A white car came round the corner and the defendant had to swerve to avoid it with a sharp manoeuvre. He swerved back into his lane. It was necessary for him to correct the movement of his car which began to fishtail. The car then yawned across the road and struck a car driving in the opposite direction, in the opposite carriageway."

The court heard the car driven by Mr Rodrigues, originally from Portugal, ended up in Cokethorpe School playing field on its roof.

The speed limit on the right hand bend at the time of the crash was 60mph.

Driver of the minibus, Gordon Bagshaw, said: "As I was coming round the last bend I noticed, all of a sudden, a vehicle very close to me and then overtaking, which was quite a surprise. It managed to pull in front of me but the back end of the car swerved left towards the kerb then back again and the last time it lost control and went back across the road and hit the vehicle."

Witness David Lewis, driver of the lorry said: "I'm quite good at estimating speed and when he overtook me it was 70mph at least."

Mr Rodrigues, who escaped the crash with just cuts, told police and other motorists at the scene that a female friend was the driver and had run away across a field, but later admitted he had been behind the wheel.

His two-year-old son survived the crash.

The court heard that tests by forensic scientist Roderick Stewart showed the rear offside car tyre was deflated and would have caused the car to lose control and oversteer in sharp manoeuvres.

Tests revealed the tyre was inflated to 17Ib per square inch instead of regulation 35Ib per square inch and blame was placed on salt corrosion which had made a faulty valve deflate intermittently.

The trial continues.