Hit-and-run driver extradited to face justice
Radu Covaci had gone back to his native Romania, police said
- Published
A driver who fled abroad after a serious hit-and-run collision in Leicester has been returned to this country and jailed.
Police said Radu Covaci stole alcohol from a supermarket in Upperton Road in July 2019 and fled in a silver Toyota Yaris on cloned plates.
As members of staff rushed into the car park to stop him leaving, one worker was run over by the car driven by Covaci.
The victim, now in his 40s, suffered serious head injuries with long-lasting effects.
When police visited the 33-year-old’s address over the hit-and-run and another linked supermarket theft, they were told he had gone back to his native Romania.
After charges were authorised in his absence, an extradition agreement was sought, and Romanian police subsequently detained Covaci at a border crossing in October 2023.
'Face the consequences'
Covaci, of Somerville Road, Rowley Fields, Leicester, was brought back to face charges of causing grievous bodily harm, disqualified driving and driving without insurance.
Police said he pleaded guilty when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court and was sentenced on Thursday to a total of 32 months in prison and banned from driving for three years.
Sgt Sian Harris-Ley, the investigating officer, who had applied for the extradition agreement, said: “When I got that call to say he’d been arrested, I couldn’t believe it.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Covaci thought he was going to avoid this outcome and would not have to face the consequences of his actions.”
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