Family of driver who fatally injured cyclist conspired to cover up crime

Three family members of a motorist who fatally injured a cyclist in North London in 2018 after driving through a red traffic light and then fled the scene have been convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after trying to help him cover up the crime.

The driver, 28-year-old Angelo Kaminski of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to a similar charge at Wood Green Crown Court as well as a separate charge of causing serious injury through dangerous driving.

The victim, 49-year-old Abdul Hadi of Kentish Town, died from his injuries on 13 June last year. Because more than six months elapsed between the incident in which he was injured and his death, Kaminski could not by law be charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

His father, 47-year-old Grzegorz Kaminski and brother, Patryk Kaminski, aged 21, both of Dudley, and 26-year-old cousin Adrian Kaminski from Edmonton, North London, are due to be sentenced alongside him tomorrow.

At their trial, which concluded on Tuesday, the court heard that Angelo Kaminski drove through a red light at the junction of Camden Road and Royal College Street in Camden at 23:35 hours on 10 January 2018, crashing into cyclist Abdul Hadi, who had been riding through the junction on a green light.

Mr Hadi sustained injuries including a fractured skull and pelvis and bleed on the brain and never regained consciousness.

Angelo Kaminski abandoned his car on Kings Terrace near Mornington Crescent and was picked up by his cousin Adrian. The pair drove to Stanstead Airport, where they picked up Grzegorz and Patryk Kaminski, who had arrived on a flight from Poland.

They claimed to police that Angelo Kaminski’s car had been stolen and they had spent time trying to find it before reporting it missing.

In the meantime, a resident of Kings Terrace reported the abandoned car to police, who discovered that it had significant damage consistent with involvement in a collision and obtained forensic evidence linking it to Angelo Kaminski.

Detective Inspector Cheryl Frost of the Metropolitan Police, who led the investigation, said: “Angelo Kaminski drove through a red light and struck Abdul Hadi, leaving him with catastrophic injuries.

“Instead of stopping and trying to help Mr Hadi, he thought only about himself, fleeing the scene and then, along with his family members, instigating attempts to cover his tracks.

“I would like to thank the Hadi family for all their support throughout the investigation into this tragic incident which has left them deprived of a loving husband and father,” she added.