A MAN whose dangerous driving led to the deaths of two cyclists has been jailed after 24 years on the run.
Bryan Kenealy, 69, and Roger Harris, 66, were cycling in Cheshire in November 1999 when Huseyin Ozkara collided with another car.
Both vehicles collided with the cyclists, who died shortly afterwards from their injuries.
In August 2000, Ozkara was found guilty of two counts of dangerous driving but failed to appear for sentencing.
However, he was tracked down to France, where he had been living under an alias, before being extradited to Britain.
On Thursday, he was finally sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison.
"To see him finally in court to face the judge was a bittersweet moment," said DCI Amber Hodson of Cheshire Constabulary.
"This should have happened decades ago, but Ozkara selfishly denied families closure and has wrought long-suffering hurt and distress to the families, but we are so pleased and thankful that we and the family finally got to see him get the justice he deserves."
On the run
Kenealy, from Woolton, Liverpool and Harris, who had been living in Crewe, were cycling together in Cheshire on November 2, 1999 when Ozkara failed to stop and give way at a junction near Clotton.
He collided with another car and in turn the vehicles collided with both cyclists.
Sadly, both men died shortly afterwards from their injuries.
Ozkara was found guilty of two counts of dangerous driving on August 1, 2000 and was bailed to be sentenced on September 15, 2000.
However, he failed to show up at court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Over the years, officers tried to locate Ozkara, making numerous enquiries into his whereabouts.
Despite there being no record of him leaving Britain, he came to the attention of French police in 2008 and 2009 but remained undetected.
Following advances in technology, detectives in Cheshire used specialist programmes to trawl social media.
Pictures of a man matching Ozkara but with a different surname led officers to believe he was still living in France.
Liaising with the French authorities, investigators sourced an address for Ozkara.
Following a cold case review by Cheshire Constabulary's Force Intelligence Unit in 2023, Ozkara was extradited from France on March 27.
Justice
"We believe Ozkara had been living illegally in France under an alias to prevent being detected and has probably done so since 2000," said DCI Hodson.
"We worked with CPS to extradite Ozkara back to the UK and informed the relatives of the two men."
She added: "The lives of the families of Bryan Kenealy and Roger Harris changed forever when they were taken from them that day — a day that should have been an enjoyable bike ride on an autumnal sunny day.
"Now, 24 years on, they have finally got the justice Ozkara had denied them."
