Thief who murdered Amazon driver jailed for at least 30 years

A thief who killed an Amazon transportation operator who was trying to halt his van from being stolen has been sentenced to beingness successful prison.

Claudiu Carol-Kondor, 42, died erstwhile Mark Ross drove the van into a parked car aft hitting speeds of up to 60mph (96 km/h) connected residential streets successful Leeds connected 20 August.

During his proceedings astatine Leeds Crown Court, Ross claimed helium did not cognize Mr Kondor, from Sheffield, was hanging connected to the van aft helium stole it, but helium was convicted of execution by a jury.

Sentencing the 32-year-old, of Conference Road, Armley, a justice said helium would service a minimum word of 30 years.

In a unfortunate interaction connection work to the court, Mr Kondor's fiancé Mariana George said: "My wounded bosom is inactive waiting for him to locomotion into the house."

She said: "Claudiu worked hard and dreamed of buying his ain van. He yet did this 3 weeks earlier helium was killed.

"Ours was a beauteous relationship. He was a antheral of integrity and hard work.

"He loved his occupation and ever wanted to bash his best."

The mates lived successful Sheffield unneurotic but she added that she has since returned to their location state of Romania.

In her statement, she described however since Mr Kondor's murder, the meaning of her beingness had changed.

"Plans person disappeared completely, the tendency to aftermath up successful the greeting has disappeared, the feeling of being capable to locomotion safely successful the street; disappeared.

"The imagination of getting joined and surviving a quiescent beingness successful England has died.

"Loneliness has forced maine to instrumentality to Romania with a breached heart."

Jurors heard Mr Kondor was delivering parcels successful the Armley country utilizing his ain Transit van, which was afloat of parcels helium had collected from an Amazon depot.

While helium was distant from his conveyance delivering a parcel, Ross, who lived adjacent and had gone retired to bargain cannabis, climbed into the driver's spot and started to thrust the van away, the tribunal heard.

Mr Kondor tried to halt him by opening the beforehand nearside rider doorway of the van and attempting to ascent in.

The tribunal was told however Ross sped disconnected and swerved erratically from broadside to broadside earlier hitting 2 parked cars, each successful an effort to "get rid" of Mr Kondor arsenic helium hung connected to the van from the unfastened rider door.

Witnesses described Mr Kondor's legs dragging connected the crushed arsenic helium clung connected to the wrong of the unfastened door, with 1 pistillate saying she heard him shouting for help.

Mr Kondor died from caput and thorax injuries from the 2nd crash, the tribunal heard.

Ross denied murder, but was convicted with a bulk verdict of 10 to 1 connected Wednesday.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Goss said: "Claudiu-Carol Kondor indispensable person been terrified successful the past 45 seconds of his beingness arsenic you ignored his pleas to halt and drove faster, dragging him on the road, causing him intelligence and carnal suffering."