Delivery driver clung to 60mph stolen van - court

Claudiu-Carol Kondor was delivering a parcel when Ross stole his van

An Amazon delivery driver was killed after he tried to cling onto his stolen van as it was driven at speeds of up to 60mph, a court heard.

Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, died when Mark Ross drove the vehicle into a parked blue Mini in Leeds, on 20 August last year, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Ross, 32, has admitted causing the manslaughter of Mr Kondor, who was originally from Romania but lived in Sheffield.

Ross, of Conference Road in Armley, is standing trial for murder, which he denies.

Opening the case, prosecutor John Harrison told the jury that Ross stole the vehicle at around 18:45 BST as the victim was delivering a parcel.

He said Mr Kondor tried to stop the theft by grabbing hold of the van through the near-side passenger door, which was open, as Ross began driving.

Mr Kondor was either unwilling or unable to let go of the van as it travelled, the prosecutor said.

The van was stolen on Whingate Road in Leeds on 20 August last year

CCTV footage played to the jury showed Mr Kondor being dragged along as the vehicle drove at speed along Whingate Road, with his feet appearing to scrape along the ground.

Mr Harrison said Ross drove "erratically" and "swerved" repeatedly in an attempt to "get rid of his unwanted passenger".

The van was being driven at around twice the road's 30mph limit, it was said.

It collided with a parked black car, but Mr Kondor still managed to cling on.

The van then crashed into a parked blue Mini on Heights Drive, around 0.3 miles (0.5km) from where it was stolen, at which point Mr Kondor fell into the road and was fatally injured.

Ross drove on and the court was told he then "met up with others and the contents of the van were removed".

When subsequently arrested, Ross refused to answer any questions.

The jury heard Ross denies murder on the grounds he did not know Mr Kondor was hanging out of the van, and thus did not intend to kill him.

The trial continues.

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