Four British nationals, including a single mother, who are alleged to have been part of a 'murder squad' that conducted reconnaissance before a businessman was shot dead in his own five-star hotel bar in Albania, have avoided extradition on a legal technicality. Edmond Haxhia, 40, the British-Albanian accused of orchestrating the hit as part of a long-standing 'blood feud', has also avoided extradition after the Court of Appeal discharged all extradition requests.
Background of the Feud
The court heard that Haxhia allegedly hired the four Britons to help plan the execution. The feud, which reportedly stems from a dispute over money and dates back to a murder in 1997, has already resulted in seven killings. The five individuals deny all allegations.
Alleged Roles of the Accused
The four Britons—Harriet Bridgeman, 30, Steven Hunt, 52, Thomas Mithan, 37, from Bristol, and convicted drug dealer Harry Simpson, 35, from Abbey Wood, south London—are said to have posed as tourists while checking into a five-star hotel owned by their alleged target, Ardian Nikulaj, 51. They are accused of monitoring his movements and accepting free meals from him while conversing with his wife.
Another suspected gang member, Ruben Saraiva, was convicted of the murder in Albania last month. He entered the hotel restaurant and shot Nikulaj six times at point-blank range a few days after the four arrived in the country. Horrific CCTV footage captured the attack, in which Saraiva, dressed as a delivery driver, used a Soviet-made automatic pistol before fleeing. Saraiva, raised in Reading, Berkshire, from age four, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Legal Proceedings
Bridgeman, Hunt, Mithan, and Haxhia were arrested in the UK on international arrest warrants from Albania within days of the murder. All five contested extradition at Westminster Magistrates' Court. In August 2024, District Judge Daniel Sternberg ruled that Bridgeman, Mithan, Simpson, and Haxhia should be extradited to Albania, and the case was sent to the Home Secretary, who approved the extradition.
However, lawyers for the five appealed on grounds that the extradition request had been altered during proceedings, rendering the original certification invalid. The extradition order initially stated that all suspects were charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and murder. In September 2023, Albanian authorities dropped the firearms charges and replaced them with counts of 'premeditated murder'.
Judge Mr Justice Swift stated: 'It was not open to the district judge to send a case to the Secretary of State for extradition that was in no part the request certified by the Secretary of State under section 70 of the 2003 Act.'
Next Steps
A CPS spokesperson said: 'The Court allowed the appeals on the basis that the requests considered by the lower court were not valid and quashed the extradition orders. On behalf of the Republic of Albania, notice has been given of an intention to seek permission to appeal to the Supreme Court under section 114 of the Extradition Act 2003. Any application for permission to appeal will be made in accordance with the statutory timetable. It would not be appropriate to comment further while proceedings are ongoing.'
