Two men arrested on suspicion of murder after death of delivery driver during alleged theft of van
A second man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a delivery driver in Leeds, police have said.
Police arrested a 32-year-old man from Leeds last night on suspicion of murder in relation to the death of Claudiu-Carol Kondor, aged 42 from Sheffield.
On Thursday, a 24-year-old man from Leeds was arrested on suspicion of murder following a public appeal.
A woman has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, West Yorkshire Police said.
It’s understood Mr Kondor had delivered a package for Amazon at about 6.45pm on Tuesday and returned to his van to find a man apparently trying to steal it.
When he tried to stop the alleged theft, the van was driven off at speed with the victim only partly in the passenger door of the vehicle.
The van then hit two parked cars on Heights Drive and was driven away, leaving Mr Kondor injured in the street between the junctions of Heights Way and Heights Bank.
Officers were called to the scene five minutes later and found the delivery driver unconscious, with members of the public trying to help him.
He was pronounced dead at the scene in Heights Drive, Wortley.
Pic: GoFundMe/PA Wire
A GoFundMe fundraiser for Mr Kondor’s family, set up by the operations manager for SP Transport Group Mike Neill, has raised more than £10,000.
Mr Neill said on the page: “Claudiu was more than just a colleague – he was a friend, a confidant, and a valued member of our team.
“His commitment to his work and the camaraderie he brought to the workplace will never be forgotten.
Police later recovered the van which they suspect of having been stolen. Pic: West Yorkshire Police
Mr Neill added: “The impact of this tragedy extends far beyond our workplace, affecting all who had the privilege of knowing Claudiu.”
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While Mr Kondor wasn’t an Amazon employee, he did work for a company that was contracted to carry out deliveries.
A spokesperson for Amazon said yesterday: “This is a terrible incident and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the delivery driver’s loved ones, family and colleagues at our delivery service provider.
“We will do all that we can to assist police with their investigations.”
West Yorkshire Police said the 32-year-old man remains in custody and inquiries are ongoing. Detectives continued to appeal for information.
The FA has launched an investigation into allegations that suspended Premier League referee David Coote discussed giving a yellow card ahead of a match.
Mr Coote booked Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during a match against West Brom in October 2019.
The Sun claims that the day before, he discussed carding the player with a Leeds fan he had met online, then after the game messaged him saying: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
Mr Coote insists nothing improper took place.
He said in a statement: “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
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The previous comments Coote made about Liverpool
An investigation has now been opened to get to the bottom of the claims surrounding the already-suspended referee.
Previously, a video emerged showing Mr Coote snorting a white powder.
That came after another video showed Mr Coote in a foul-mouthed rant about Liverpool FC and their then-boss Jurgen Klopp.
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After the most recent allegations, a spokesperson for Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) told Sky Sports News: “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations.
“We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis.
“PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that Code be proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by The FA.”
It added: “We will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Davina McCall has said she is feeling “stronger and stronger” every day after having brain tumour surgery.
In an update posted to Instagram, the TV presenter emphasised the importance of sleep during her recovery after having a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, removed.
Sporting a bruised left eye, McCall said she is being “brilliantly” looked after by her boyfriend, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and stepmum Gabby and is “just trying to sleep a lot” and “get better”.
Earlier this week, the star said she was suffering with short-term memory problems, due to the operation. But on Wednesday, she said that her memory is now “improving”.
“My short-term memory is really improving a lot every day,” she said, adding: “It has been an example to me of how much sleep helps me recover from everything.
Pic: Instagram/Davina McCall
“If I feel a bit confused or I’m struggling to concentrate, I just got to sleep, and I wake up just completely renewed and refreshed.
“I know that my brain needs lots of sleep.”
The 57-year-old ended the update by thanking fans for their “ongoing support”.
‘Out of the woods’
Speaking during a livestream on Tuesday, McCall’s partner Douglas said the star is “definitely out of the woods” during her recovery.
McCall with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA
“She’s quite tired at the moment. She sleeps really well at night and goes to bed at 10pm and has a nap in the morning, and sleeps for two or three hours in the afternoon,” he said.
He added that the presenter is off work until mid-January and has “a lot of time to relax and recuperate”.
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Douglas told fans: “It’s been a very, very emotional and quite an incredible experience. We’re definitely out of the woods.”
McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and together they present a weekly lifestyle podcast called Making The Cut.
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