A Romanian van driver, Vasile Barbu, has had his appeal against deportation dismissed by a judge. Barbu was involved in a fatal incident that killed triathlete Rebecca Comins.
Barbu, 52, was driving his van on the A40 near Raglan, Monmouthshire, when he attempted to overtake Comins during a cycling time trial. The collision occurred nine minutes into her trial. Barbu stated he saw Comins but could not explain why he hit her, a question he said he would ponder for the rest of his life.
Following the crash, an examination of Barbu's van revealed it was unfit for the road. Its load was also overweight, which a vehicle examiner noted would have increased emergency braking distances and reduced the vehicle's maneuverability.
Barbu moved to Britain in 2002 and worked as a pub chef before eventually owning a public house. He married Maria in 2004, and they have adult twins. Barbu had filed an appeal against deportation, arguing that relocating permanently to Romania would be "unduly harsh" for him and his family, as he claimed to have no home or source of income there. He also stated he identified closely with British culture and considered the UK his permanent home.
His wife, Maria, indicated she would not relocate to Romania and would be unable to cope without her husband. However, on September 7, the judge, Boyes, ruled that since Barbu's children are adults and do not depend on him, his removal would not be "unduly harsh." The judge concluded that "the very significant public interest in deportation outweighs the appellant's private and family life considerations."