Stephen George Russell on trial in Tamworth District Court after double-fatal crash on Oxley Highway near Walcha in 2019

Stephen George Russell has denied two charges of dangerous driving causing death and one of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, as well as one allegation of intending to pervert the course of justice.

Crown prosecutor Matt Coates opened the case against Russell on the first day of his jury trial in Tamworth District Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutors allege Russell used a caravan as a moving trailer when he and his wife were relocating from Tamworth to the coast.

Mr Coates claimed the caravan was several hundred kilograms over its maximum weight when Russell got behind the wheel of a Toyota Prado and towed it along the Oxley Highway on January 3.

His wife, as well as his step-son and his partner, were passengers in the four-wheel-drive at the time.

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Russell began a descent about 40km past Walcha that afternoon, but when he tried to slow down, the caravan swayed, the Prado lost control and eventually slammed into a tree, Mr Coates said in his address.

The court heard Russell's wife and step-son were tragically killed in the crash and the other female passenger was seriously injured.

Mr Coates said the caravan was filled with clothes, fridges, a generator, barbecue, photo albums, and had an aluminium boat on top at the time of the fatal crash.

"The Crown's case in a nutshell is that the accused was towing a grossly overloaded caravan," he said.

Mr Coates said the court would hear evidence in the Crown case from crash investigation officers and witnesses at the scene, among others.

Russell is further charged with intending to pervert the course of justice after a series of recorded conversations with the surviving passenger about "what not to tell the police", Mr Coates claimed.

The trial continues.

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