Amazon driver clung to van door before Leeds thief 'purposely crashed and killed him'

Shocking CCTV footage was played to Leeds Crown Court today that showed Claudiu-Carol Kondor clinging to the open driver’s-side door of the vehicle as Mark Ross reached speeds of up to 60mph.

Eventually colliding with a parked car on Heights Drive in Wortley, Mr Kondor suffered fatal head and chest injuries.

Ross is standing trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of murdering the 42-year-old from Sheffield.

Opening the case for the Crown, John Harrison KC said on that fateful day, Mr Kondor had collected the parcels from the Amazon depot and was working his round, delivering parcels in his own silver van.

Stopping in the Alliance Road area of Armley at about 6.45pm, he got out to deliver a package when Ross seized his opportunity and climbed into the driver’s seat and took off.

Realising what was taking place, Mr Kondor ran back to his van and was able to get the passenger-side door open as Ross was driving away.

Snippets of street CCTV footage played to the jury showed Mr Kondor, dressed in a high-vis vest, hanging onto the open door with his feet scraping along the road.

The van reached speeds up to 60mph in 20mph zones and was seen swerving in the road. The Crown says that 32-year-old Ross purposely drove erratically to “get rid of his unwanted passenger”.

Heading along Wingate Road and then Heights Drive, the van glanced one vehicle before smashing into the second with “shocking” impact, which threw Mr Kondor into the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

Mr Harrison said Ross, of Conference Road, Armley, drove on and met up with associates, who helped him unload the van.

He was later tracked down and arrested, but gave a no-comment interview.

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Ross later admitted manslaughter during a court hearing, but has denied murder, claiming there was no intent to kill or seriously harm Mr Kondor.

Mr Harrison said that Ross claims he did not see the van owner hanging onto the van door at any point.

Addressing the jury, said: “The Crown does not accept that explanation, and we respectfully suggest you shouldn’t either.

“The defendant must have known Mr Knodor was hanging onto the van. The van door was open and it must have been obvious.”

He questioned why Ross was swerving side-to-side and then deliberately turned the wheel of the van into the path of the parked cars, unless he wanted Mr Kondor to let go.

The judge, Mr Justice James Goss, told the jury that because Ross admitted his part in the theft of the van, the matter was “straightforward”.

He said their role was to decide whether Ross’ actions amounted to him intending to cause death or serious harm.

The trial, which is expected to last seven days, continues.