Two men have been found guilty of murdering a cannabis thief by beating him to death and dumping his body in the road. Tomasz Waga's body was found in Cardiff having been killed for his attempted robbery of a cannabis factory.
Mr Waga had travelled to Cardiff from London on January 28 last year with Carl Davies with a plan to break into a cannabis factory at 319 Newport Road with plants worth £120,000. An organised crime gang responsible for the factory "descended" on the scene and attacked the burglars.
The 23-year-old victim was beaten with a baseball bat, a bamboo cane and half a house brick before being dragged out of the house and thrown into a Mercedes car. He suffered 25 injuries to his head and mouth, bruising to his chest and damage to his seventh, eighth, and 10th ribs, to his arms and a degree of swelling and bruising to his bran.
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After his death, he was dumped in Westville Road and his mobile phone was taken. The deceased was later found by a passer-by the same evening. The cause of death was given as obstruction to the airways by blood.
On Wednesday, members of the gang Josif Nushi, 27, and Mihal Dhana, 29, were found guilty of Mr Waga's murder, following a trial at Newport Crown Court. Gardener Hysland Aliaj, 31, who discovered Mr Waga at the cannabis factory, was found guilty of manslaughter.
In his opening to the jury, prosecutor Greg Bull KC said: "In 2020, an organised criminal gang of Albanian nationals established a commercial cannabis-growing factory in a residential area of Cardiff… It was a well-run, organised, and profitable enterprise. It was so successful and profitable that members of the gang were prepared to protect it, if necessary, at all costs.
“Their determination to protect their valuable crop came to a head just after 10.30pm, on January 28, 2021, when these five defendants, together with others murdered Tomasz Waga, a young man who had the intent of stealing the cannabis grow from the factory in Newport Road.
“As he and Carl Davies did so, a gang confronted him, some of whom were armed with a baseball bat, a brick, and other implements…. He received multiple injuries and was conveyed from the factory at 319 Newport Road, Cardiff in a Mercedes motorcar.... On route he has died and robbed."
Following the killing, Nushi, Dhana and Aliaj fled to Albania but were eventually extradited back to the UK before standing trial. Nushi, of Ninian Road, Roath, and Dhana, of Colum Road, Cathays, were also found guilty of wounding with intent, in respect to Carl Davies, while Aliaj, of no fixed abode was found guilty of unlawful wounding.
Mr Justice Cotter remanded all three defendants in custody to appear for their sentencing on January 10 next year. He told Nushi and Dhana there was only one sentence available for him to pass in their case, one of life imprisonment. The judge said it was up to him to pass a minimum term.
Earlier in the trial, Gledis Mehalla, 20, of no fixed abode, and Mario Qato, 27, of Lansdowne Road, London, were found not guilty of Mr Waga's murder. In both their cases, it was directed for the jury to return not guilty after the defence submitted there wasn't enough evidence to put before the jury.
After the hearing, Mr Waga’s family said: “Tomasz paid too great a price for the events that unfolded the night he lost his life. We do not wish for such tragedy to be experienced by any other family and urge individuals to consider the choices they make and the impact of their involvement, wilful or coerced, on their close ones. He will remain in our hearts forever.”
Senior investigating officer detective superintendent Mark O’Shea said: "Our thoughts are with the family of Tomasz Waga who was a much-loved son, brother, father, and partner to his girlfriend. He was a young man who made some bad choices and was in Cardiff that day for the wrong reason, however that does not excuse what took place on January 28 last year. Events that have left a family grieving and a small baby without a father.
"South Wales Police has been clear from the outset that we would get to the bottom of this complex case involving organised crime groups from south-east England and Europe. As this case highlights, international borders are no barrier to us pursuing people suspected of murder in the UK, we have excellent links with law enforcement colleagues across Europe including Albania which have been tremendously helpful throughout our investigation.”
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