Well-known celebrity agent Colin Angus was two times over the drink driving limit, not wearing a seatbelt and using his mobile phone before his sports car crashed on his way home from a night out, an inquest into his death has heard.

The 40-year-old public relations man suffered a severe head injury when his silver Mazda MX5 smashed into a tree close to Cairnwood Forest on the Craigantlet Road in Newtownards after 4am on December 13 last year.

The popular agent counted George Best’s former wife Alex, Emmerdale actor Patrick Mower, EastEnders actor Steve McFadden and several BBC Northern Ireland and UTV presenters among his clients.

Yesterday Belfast Coroner’s Court was told that the businessman from Donaghadee had been texting and speaking on his mobile phone minutes before his car veered across the road and into a tree, throwing him from the vehicle which then burst into flames.

The court heard that Mr Angus, who was the founder of Northern Ireland charity Aids 2000, had been drinking with friends in the Cathedral Quarter area of Belfast when he decided to drive home following a disagreement with his partner, Paul McVeigh.

Long-time friend Kyle O’Neill told the inquest Mr Angus had phoned and messaged him several times throughout the early hours of December 13.

He said his friend — who was also tired from working all day — was upset that Mr McVeigh did not want to leave the Kremlin nightclub despite his pleas.

He also claimed in one of the phone conversations the 40-year-old told him he was driving at 95mph.

“He was crying on the phone to me,” he told the court. “He had some sort of argument with Paul. He had told me in one of the phone conversations that he was driving at 95mph.”

But forensic expert Lindsay McCormick told the court she concluded from her investigations that the car was travelling at least 56mph at time of the crash. However, she emphasised that this speed was an under-estimation.

Police inspector Julie Blain told the hearing a major part of the PSNI investigation focused on the activity of Mr Angus’ mobile phone. She explained investigating officers were concerned he may have been on his phone at the time of the crash because of its proximity to his body after the accident.

Insp Blain said a number of calls had been made by Mr Angus to Mr O’Neill’s home phone as well as a number of texts and calls to Mr McVeigh. The last phone call Mr Angus made was to Mr O’Neill at 3.54am, which lasted four minutes.

When Mr O’Neill was asked about the conversation he told the court Mr Angus was crying on the phone and was going to stop by. But his car crashed minutes after the phone call ended.

A toxicology report revealed Mr Angus was twice the legal drink driving limit at the time of his death.

Coroner Joanne Donnelly said the tragic circumstances surrounding Mr Angus’ death served as a warning to all motorists.

I miss him desperately, says grieving friend Alex Best

The former wife of George Best has appealed for motorists to be more careful on Northern Ireland roads following the death of her best friend Colin Angus.

Alex Best was speaking after the inquest into the death of the public relations man who died after his car crashed into a tree on his way home from a night out.

Alex, who was in the city last week to launch the Aids 2000 Red Ribbon Ball set up in Mr Angus’ memory, said his death had left a “massive” void in her life.

“He was my best friend,” she said. “I miss him desperately.

“It is a warning to others, everyone should be careful. Life is a very, very precious thing and we should all take care ourselves. It’s awful what happened to Colin, it’s very difficult to put things into words because we are all still hurting and missing him so much.

“It’s a tragic loss of life, of a very, very bright spark and special person. If it can be of warning to anybody, I am sure Colin would have wanted it to be that way.”

Alex, who was married to football legend George for nine years, is the patron of Colin’s |charity. She explained that since his death, his family and many of his friends had vowed to carry on his work to help keep his spirit alive.

This is the 10th anniversary of the charity and, according to Alex, Colin would have been proud to see his loved ones continuing with his work.

EMILY MOULTON