Hungarian hit-and-run driver jailed in Great Britain

According to Daily Mail, Gábor Hegedűs, 38, ran over the cousins, 12-year-old Helena Kotlarova and 11-year-old Zaneta Krokovaje, on New Year’s Eve. Helena and Zaneta died in the accident. It later turned out that the Hungarian man was let into Great Britain despite having a criminal record. He was jailed for four years.

Gábor Hegedűs is a convicted car thief, what is more, he served five years for gang robbery and aggravated assault in Hungary. Now he is sentenced to jail for running over 12-year-old Helena Kotlarova and 11-year-old Zaneta Krokovaje, driving a Peugeot 807 estate car.

The cousins were walking across the road, they wanted to buy some crisps. Helena died at the scene right after the accident, while Zaneta two days later in hospital.

Hegedűs left the scene and tried to escape justice by falsely reporting that his car had been stolen. Three other Hungarian men tried to help him, all of whom had previous convictions in Hungary.

• Gábor Hegedűs had been convicted of gang robbery, aggravated battery and misuse of a document in February 2000. He spent five years in jail. Then he was accused of car theft and counterfeiting and got a suspended sentence in May 2007.
• János Kalányos (50) was pronounced guilty 11 times in Hungary. He was jailed for three years and eight months for rape in 1999 and another six and half years for homicide in 2004.
• Zoltán Pető (49) had five convictions in Hungary. He was jailed for four years and two months for fraud and forgery in 2010.
• Dávid Orsós (19) was convicted once for breach of the peace. He was the only one who could speak English.

Mark Kellet, prosecuting, said Hegedűs, Orsós and Kalányos had spent the day working together before the hit-and-run happened. They were driving home in two vehicles. Hegedűs later got rid of the car and Orsós – being the only one speaking English – pretended to be Hegedűs and reported the car as stolen.