Kerrin Repman, 29, died at the scene of the collision
(Picture: Essex Police / family handout)A motorist who deliberately drove into a biker at nearly 70mph has been convicted of murder after fleeing to Ireland to try and escape punishment.
BMW driver Keith McCarthy slammed into the moped of father-of-three Kerrin Repman on April 15, 2020, in Dovercourt - killing the 29-year-old biker and also seriously injuring a bystander.
McCarthy, 40, of no fixed abode, fled the scene on foot and left the country - being tracked down in Ireland. He arrived back in the UK on February 3, 2022, where he was charged with murder and grevious bodily harm with intent, both of which he denied.
After a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, he was found guilty of both charges on Thursday.
It was said that Mr Repman, a chef who took part in charity work, had been killed in a targeted attack following a dispute about money. The victim was described as “a much-loved partner, son, brother, father and uncle”.
A family statement added: “Kerrin had his problems and went through a lot of physical and emotional pain in his life, but it never stopped him from having a smile on his face. He always brought a smile to ours, too.”
The court heard McCarthy had accelerated along the residential street as he approached the bike, clocking a speed of 67mph before the impact which fatally threw Mr Repman from the moped.
Both vehicles were badly damaged, while the bystander, a woman in her 70s, required treatment in hospital for her injuries.
McCarthy but could be handed his term on Thursday afternoon.
Detective superintendent Scott Egerton, of Essex Police, said: “Keith McCarthy took Kerrin’s life in a violent and ruthless attack.
“He would have felt the full impact of that collision and seen the devastation it caused, yet he made no attempt to identify himself as the driver or to check on those he injured.
“His only thought was to try and escape the justice system, but all he did was delay the inevitable.”
