Van thief found guilty of Amazon driver's murder

A thief who killed an Amazon delivery driver who was trying to stop his van from being stolen has been found guilty of murder.

Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, died when Mark Ross drove the van into a parked car after hitting speeds of up to 60mph (96 km/h) on residential streets in Leeds last summer.

During his trial at Leeds Crown Court, the 32-year-old told a jury he did not know Mr Kondor, from Sheffield, was hanging onto the van after he stole it on 20 August.

Ross, of Conference Road, Armley, denied murder but was convicted by a jury with a majority verdict of 10 to one on Wednesday.

The court heard Ross sped through Armley and swerved erratically from side to side before hitting two parked cars, all in an effort to "get rid" of Mr Kondor as he hung onto the van from the open passenger door.

Witnesses described Mr Kondor's legs dragging on the ground as he clung onto the inside of the open door, with one woman saying she heard him shouting for help.

Mr Kondor died from head and chest injuries from the second crash, the court heard.

In his closing speech, prosecutor John Harrison KC said Ross showed a "complete disregard and even contempt" for Mr Kondor's life.

He said the "career criminal" must have realised Mr Kondor, who was wearing a high-viz jacket, was there, but made the choice that the driver was "expendable".

The court heard after driving away, Ross met up with some other people and the contents of the van were removed.

Ross previously told the court he had simply wanted to steal the van, and if he had known Mr Kondor was there he would have stopped and fled.

The defendant told the jury how he had been a daily cannabis user since he was a child and had been out buying drugs and cigarette papers when he came across the van with no driver.

His defence counsel, Simon Kealey KC, asked him: "Were you ever aware of anyone on the passenger side of the vehicle, on the door on the outside."

He said: "No".

Ross said he later found out about the death of Mr Kondor online.

Opening an inquest into his death last year, senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin said Mr Kondor was "a Romanian gentleman who was contributing to society".

"He was here, he was working hard, when he found someone stealing his vehicle," he said.

"He's commendably tried to prevent the crime taking place but he's paid an immensely high price for this."

Mr Kondor, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was employed by a company called SP Transport Group.

The firm described him as "more than just a colleague - he was a friend, a confidant and a valued member of our team".

West Yorkshire Police said that after leaving the scene, Ross arranged for the van to be stripped of its parcels on a back street in Belle Isle.

It was then abandoned and later recovered when police followed its tracker system.

Det Ch Insp James Entwistle, the senior investigating officer, said Mr Kondor had been "determined" not to let Ross take his livelihood from him.

He added that his partner had returned to their home country of Romania because she saw "no future" in the UK after Mr Kondor's death.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.

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