Driver who killed veterinary nurse fled UK while on his electronic tag
A LITHUANIAN driver who killed a veterinary nurse in a head-on crash was able to flee the country while on an electronic tag, it has emerged, leaving questions for the police and Home Office.
Vytautas Kiminius, 35, was at the wheel of a Range Rover Sport when he took a “racing line” through a corner and ploughed into the Ford Fiesta being driven by 46-year-old Rachel Radwell in November 2018.
She died of her injuries following the collision on the B1095 near Peterborough.
Kiminius admitted on the first day of his trial in February to driving while uninsured and was found guilty of causing Miss Radwell’s death by dangerous driving.
But despite being bailed to reappear for sentencing with conditions including a surety, surrender of travel documents and electronic tagging, he fled the country with his wife and two young children, leaving the victim’s father “stumped” as to how it could have happened. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said.
Kiminius was, until recently, the director of a L.E Transport Services, a haulage company, and was part of a number of HGV groups on Facebook.
He also has an interest in flying – posting photos of himself in the cockpit of a colourful Christen Eagle II – an aerobatic sporting biplane with the name of a Lithuanian haulage firm on the side.
It is still unknown how a convicted killer with such obvious potential escape options at his disposal was not kept in prison after his conviction and before his sentencing.
“We are as stumped as everybody. We don’t know,” Barry Radwell, Rachel’s father, told The Daily Telegraph. “We don’t understand. Why wasn’t he put away straight away?
“We have heard nothing from the police. We don’t think much of it and we are in the dark as much as anyone else.”
Kiminius was sentenced in his absence at Peterborough Crown Court in May to four years and six months in prison. Sgt Mark Dollard, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “It is believed Vytautas Kiminius left the country soon after his conviction.
“He was bailed to reappear for sentencing with conditions including a surety, surrender of travel documents and electronic tagging.
“Police were made aware of breaches to his tagging and identified at an early stage he and his family fled the family home and are believed to have left the country. Kiminius then subsequently failed to attend his sentencing hearing.
“Efforts are ongoing to locate him and a European Arrest Warrant has been issued. The fact he left the country before he could be sentenced has been incredibly upsetting for Rachel Radwell’s family.”
Sgt Dollard said police were still engaging with the family through specially trained officers.
He added: “It is extremely frustrating Kiminius has absconded and I urge anyone who has information concerning his whereabouts to contact Cambridgeshire Constabulary, quoting Op Berkeley.” The Home Office has also been contacted for comment.
David Matthew, prosecuting, told the earlier sentencing hearing that Kiminius took a “racing line” through a corner and struck Miss Radwell’s vehicle head-on.
He added that the defendant was driving “rapidly” and “to maintain that sort of speed he cut across the road assuming there was no oncoming traffic”.
Claire Davies, mitigating, said the prosecution accepted it was “not a case of greatly excessive speed, racing or competitive driving”. She said Kiminius, of Sudbury Court, Peterborough, has two young children.
Judge Sean Enright, sentencing, said Miss Radwell was a “much-l oved daughter and aunt” whose funeral was attended by more than 200 people. “I know she is sorely missed,” he said.
He jailed Kiminius for four years and six months for causing death by dangerous driving, and nine months for driving whil e uninsured, to run concurrently.
‘We are as stumped as everybody. We don’t understand. Why wasn’t he put away straight away?’