A man who deliberately crashed a van he had stolen causing the death of a delivery driver who had clung to the speeding vehicle has today been convicted of his murder.
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00:00It was here that just before 7pm on Tuesday August 20th last year that delivery driver
00:10Claudio Carroll Condor was delivering packages in the area of Conference Road in Armley.
00:15The man who would be responsible for his death, Mark Ross, lived just a few doors away. CCTV
00:21shows Ross walking up and down the street like any other passerby and Claudio would
00:25have had no idea of his criminal intentions and the tragic consequences that they would
00:30bring. After Claudio pulled his van here onto Alliance Street to deliver to another address,
00:37Ross saw his opportunity and jumped into the driver's seat. But Claudio spotted him and
00:42tried to intervene as Ross sped off onto Wingate Road. Claudio was a decent, hard-working man
00:50and he was determined not to let this thief take his livelihood. For half a mile he clung
00:56desperately to the open passenger door whilst Ross swerved at speed. Shocked witnesses heard
01:03Claudio shouting for help, clearly in fear for his life. The van initially struck a parked
01:10car further up Heights Drive before reaching this point where it collided again with another
01:15vehicle, this time throwing Claudio off and leaving him fatally injured. That was a deliberate
01:22act by Ross, an attempt to knock Claudio off and escape regardless of the consequences.
01:28Without any thought for the harm he caused, Ross arranged for the van to be taken to Broon
01:34Nook in Belle Isle to be stripped of its parcels before it was abandoned here in Highlands Walk.
01:40It was later found by officers following the on-board tracker and detectives from the Homicide
01:46and Major Inquiry Team carried out extensive house-to-house in the area. They found a witness
01:53to the abandoning of the vehicle. That, combined with the CCTV, took us to Mark Ross as a suspect.
02:00Mark, hands please mate. Just tell me in time Mark, you're under arrest on suspicion of murder.
02:08Just tell you that you don't have to say anything to me, I'm your defence, if you don't mention
02:12me in questions I'll put you on a line in court. Anything you do say may be given evidence.
02:16Ross was subsequently arrested, interviewed and charged with the murder of Claudio Carroll Condor.
02:28Claudio came to the UK to make a better life for himself. His work colleagues describe him as not
02:35only a valued member of the team but also a friend and a confidant. He was a familiar, friendly face
02:42for everyone that he delivered to. Claudio's partner, who also came to the UK for work,
02:49has since returned to Romania. She sees no future here for her. She and Claudio's family have been
02:56left devastated by Claudio's death. It's genuinely heartbreaking that the life of an honest,
03:05hard-working man has been snatched away by the cruel and callous actions of Mark Ross.
03:12But, through the hard work, dedication and commitment of everyone involved, from those
03:19initial attending officers, through the public who provide information and CCTV,
03:24to the analytical and support staff and the detectives there in court at the end,
03:30we've been able to provide justice for Claudio and his family.