A THUG who dragged a beloved Amazon driver half-a-mile to his death in a stolen van has been jailed for life.
Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, had returned to the vehicle in Wortley, West Yorkshire, when he spotted Mark Ross sitting inside.
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The 42-year-old was left clinging to the van for 0.4 miles as Ross recklessly tried to throw him off by smashing into parked cars.
He reached speeds of 60mph and swerved erratically from side to side in a callous bid to “get rid” of Claudiu-Carol.
The horror only came to an end when Ross ploughed into a stationary car – causing the delivery driver to suffer head and chest injuries.
The killer claimed he was unaware Claudiu-Carol was hanging off the van and said speed bumps had caused him to lose control.
But jurors at Leeds Crown Court saw through his lies and Ross, 32, has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years for murder.
In a victim impact statement, Claudiu-Carol’s fiance Marianna George told how the “meaning of my life has changed” following his death.
She added: “My plans, desires, my family’s lives have changed, all disappearing completely.
“My self-confidence has disappeared, the desire for me to wake up and do something constructive has disappeared, my trust in people has disappeared, even in my own house I’m scared to sleep with the light off.
“My wounded heart is still waiting for him to walk in the house and shout ‘honey I’m home.’
“I’m still shocked and confused and miss him very much…For three weeks I couldn’t go out on the streets alone because I was alone. I’d return crying because I saw happy people in the streets and wondered what my normality was.”
The court was told Claudiu-Carol was delivering parcels in Leeds on August 20 last year using his own silver Ford Transit.
As he briefly popped to a house to drop off a package, Ross seized his opportunity and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Prosecutor John Harrison KC said: “The evidence suggests Mr Kondor tried to stop him by opening the front nearside passenger door of the van and attempting to climb in.
“Unfortunately his actions did not prevent the defendant from driving away, with Mr Kondor hanging on to his van.”
Horrific CCTV showed Claudiu-Carol clinging on for his life on the open door as Ross drove away from the scene at speed.
Witnesses told how his legs dragged on the ground as he desperately shouted out “help”.
The court heard Ross “deliberately” turned the wheel towards a parked car on the side of the road.
When that failed to knock Claudiu-Carol off, he “tried again” – this time hitting a blue car.
Mr Harrison said this collision “caused damage to the van, to the parked car and most significantly, caused fatal head and chest injuries” to the Amazon driver.
The court was told Ross showed a “complete disregard and even contempt” for Claudiu-Carol’s life.
Even after the crash, the “career criminal” left the victim dying in the road and drove off to strip the van.
In his evidence, Ross tried to worm his way out by claiming he had not seen Claudiu-Carol, who was wearing a high-vis jacket.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: “Claudiu was a decent hard-working man and it’s clear he was determined not to let Ross take his livelihood.
“For half a mile he bravely clung to the open door as Ross swerved the van around at speed before deliberately crashing leaving him fatally injured.
“Claudiu came to the UK from Romania to make a better life for himself. He was described by his work colleagues as being not just a dedicated and valued member of their team but a friend and a confidant. He was also a familiar friendly face to the many people he delivered to.
“His partner, who had also come to the UK for work, has since returned to Romania now seeing no future here. She and Claudiu’s family have been left utterly devastated by his death.
“It is truly heart-breaking that the life of an honest hard-working man has been snatched away by the cruel and callous actions of Mark Ross.”
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