Driver who killed Team GB triathlete to be deported

A Romanian van driver who killed a Team GB triathlete by driving into the back of her bicycle has lost an appeal against deportation, with an immigration judge ruling that the significant public interest in removing him outweighs his private and family life considerations.

Visile Barbu, 50, was delivering furniture to a driver in Calais when he struck Rebecca Comins’ bike in June 2022. Comins, 52, was nine minutes into a cycling time trial on the A40 near Raglan, Monmouthshire, when Barbu attempted to overtake and drove straight into the back of her rather than moving into an empty lane of the dual carriageway.

The incident

Barbu was found guilty of causing Comins’ death by dangerous driving following a five-day trial. When his van was examined following the crash, it was found to be unfit for the road and its load overweight, which would have increased the emergency braking distances and the ability to turn the wheel, according to a vehicle examiner.

Barbu told police during interview that he could not explain how he hit Comins, claiming he would ask himself the question for his whole life. He said he had seen her, but did not know why he had hit her.

The appeal

Barbu moved to Britain in 2002 to become a pub chef at Old Pandy public house and eventually owned the pub. He married a Romanian woman, Maria, in 2004 and had twins, who are now adults. He filed an appeal to stop him from being deported, arguing it would be unduly harsh for both him and his family to relocate permanently to Romania, where he said he had no home or source of income.

He said he identified closely with British culture and traditions and regarded the UK as his permanent home. His wife Maria said she would not relocate to Romania and would be unable to cope without her husband.

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At the hearing in Newport, immigration judge Ian Boyes said the nature of the offending was important. He stated that this was not an accident, nor a slight misjudgement, and was committed using a vehicle which should not have been on the road.

Boyes ruled that as Barbu’s children were adults and did not depend on him, it would not be unduly harsh to remove him from the country. He said the very significant public interest in deportation outweighs the appellant’s private and family life considerations.

Rebecca Comins

Comins was a Team GB triathlete who had competed at the highest level of her sport. Her family said they are so proud of what she achieved in her life.

Why it matters

The case highlights the intersection of dangerous driving, immigration enforcement and the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of serious offences in the UK. The judge’s unusually forceful characterisation of the incident — stating it was not an accident but an act committed with a vehicle that should not have been on the road — underscores the seriousness with which the courts view such offences. The ruling also reflects the steady momentum of deportation appeals in cases where the offending is considered grave and the offender’s family dependencies are minimal.

What happens next

Barbu will be deported to Romania following the dismissal of his appeal. The Immigration Rules provide for the automatic deportation of non-British citizens convicted of crimes carrying a sentence of 12 months or more, subject to any appeal rights being exhausted. The family of Rebecca Comins has not publicly commented on the outcome of the appeal hearing.

Source: BBC News