Three Britons – including a young mother – face spending the rest of their lives in jail in Albania for their alleged role as part of a gangland murder hit squad, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Businessman Ardian Nikulaj, 51, was blasted six times by a gunman in April, with the crime captured on CCTV cameras.
Albanian detectives claim three Britons – including the mother of a seven-year-old girl – were involved.
British-Albanian Edmond Haxhia, based in the Midlands, approached Harriet Bridgeman, Steven Hunt and Thomas Mithan to help him settle a decades-old score with Nikulaj, prosecutors claim.
The Albanian government wants to extradite the three Britons to stand trial for murder in Albania.
Businessman Ardian Nikulaj, 51, was blasted six times by a gunman in April, with the crime captured on CCTV cameras
British-Albanian Edmond Haxhia, approached Harriet Bridgeman, PICTURED, Steven Hunt and Thomas Mithan to help him settle a decades-old score with Nikulaj, prosecutors claim
If convicted, they face a minimum of 31 years in prison. Westminster Magistrates' Court heard relatives of Haxhia and Nikulaj were locked in a violent 'blood feud' dating back to a shooting at a petrol station over money.
On June 25, 1997, in the Albanian city of Lezha, Gezim Lekstakaj and Lorent Gjetja allegedly gunned down Pellumb Nikulaj, the brother of Ardian Nikulaj. Then in September that year Lekstakaj and Gjetja were both shot dead in a revenge attack, which Nikulaj is said to have organised.
In March 1999, in a village in Albania, two members of the Lekstakaj family – Gjovalin and Pjeter – fired at Nikoll Nikulaj, Ardian's uncle.
Nikoll returned fire with a hunting rifle, killing Gjovalin and wounding Pjeter – who fled to Birmingham.
In 2007, Albania attempted to extradite Pjeter Lekstakaj for the attempted murder of Nikoll Nikulaj but failed.
Lekstakaj's lawyers argued that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and Albanian prisons would not be able to treat the condition. The judge hearing the case agreed.
Bridgeman, Hunt and Mithan are said to have travelled to Albania to carry out surveillance of Ardian Nikulaj at his bar, Coral, in Shengjin.
Haxhia is said to be the organiser. Another man, Ruben Saraiva, 27, born in Portugal but a UK resident for years, is the gunman, Albanian police believe.
Zoe Lash , representing the Albanian government, told the court: 'On April 19 at 1.23pm at the Coral bar in Shengjin, Ardian Nikulaj was shot six times and killed. The security footage from the bar shows the murder take place.
'You can see someone enter the bar in a motorcycle helmet and a fluorescent vest, shoot six times and leave on a grey motorcycle.
'This was clearly a premeditated attack that had a significant degree of planning and specifically targeted the victim described as being involved in a blood feud in Albania between rival families.'
Ms Lash added: 'Mr Haxhia is suspected to be the organiser of the murder. Edmond Haxhia is a cousin to a family called Lekstakaj.
'We say they are in a blood feud with the victim's family since 1997, when they allegedly killed the victim's brother.'
Haxhia, 37, Hunt, 49, Bridgeman, 27, and Mithan, 35, all deny carrying out surveillance leading to the murder. Haxhia denies organising the hit and the alleged gunman is under arrest in Morocco.
Haxhia, Hunt and Mithan remain in custody but Bridgeman was granted bail after her father offered the court a surety of £20,000.
The extradition hearing is due in November.
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