Jail for van-jacking murderer

A man found guilty of deliberately crashing a delivery van he had stolen, causing the death of the delivery driver who was clinging to the speeding vehicle, has been jailed for 30 years.

Mark Ross, 32, was found guilty by a majority verdict at Leeds Crown Court for the murder of 42-year-old Claudio-Carol Kondor, who was fatally injured in a collision in Farnley last year.

Ross had stolen the van, which was delivering Amazon parcels, while Kondor was dropping off a package and he deliberately crashed it into a parked car causing him catastrophic head and chest injuries after he clung to the open passenger door.

Ross then sped away and arranged for the van to be taken to a back street at Broom Nook, Belle Isle, to be stripped of its parcels.

Ross pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder. At his trial he claimed he had been unaware of Kondor hanging onto the door and said he had crashed into the parked car after losing control on speed bumps.

Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: “Through the hard work, dedication and commitment of everyone involved, from those initial attending officers, the public providing information and CCTV, to the analytical and support staff and the detectives there throughout the investigation to its conclusion at court, we have been able to provide justice for Claudiu and his family.”