Hemwand Ali Hussain: Three men jailed following his 'gangland-style' execution

Hemawand Ali Hussain was forced to his knees and blasted at point-blank range with a sawn-off shotgun. The gunman, named as Daniel Kadiu, has never been caught.

The plot to kill the Stockton father-of-two was the culmination of a long-running feud between rival Kurdish and Albanian groups on Teesside, which included a gunfight between the two warring parties in Middlesbrough.

His partner, Jennifer Buller, spoke of her family’s heartbreak following his death and of their pride in his actions to fight against ISIS in his homeland.

Noza Saffari, Dorian Pirija and Qazim Marku were convicted for their roles in the killing of the 30-year-old but were cleared of his murder.

Today, they were jailed after a two-month trial at Teesside Crown Court where jurors heard details of the gangs plan to lure Mr Hussain to his death.

The organised crime group brought together members from Teesside, London and Bolton to carryout the ‘execution-style’ slaying.

Hemwand Ali Hussain

Judge Mr Justice Mark Wall said the three men were either members of or working for an organised crime gang involved in the running of lucrative cannabis farms in the region.

As he senetenced them, he said they had all played a role in the meticulous planning for the murder of Mr Hussain.

The victim died instantly after he was shot inside a terraced house in Charterhouse Street, Hartlepool, on September 14, 2019, the trial heard.

A fourth man, Anxelo Xhaferi, was cleared of both charges and was immediately released from custody.

In a victim impact statement, Miss Buller told the judge of the devastating impact her partner’s murder had on her and her two young children.

She said: “The boys saw as their hero; a brave man who protected them. They knew about his involvement in fighting against ISIS and felt so proud of this, as did his family and the rest of the Kurdish community.

“Family and loyalty were very important to him and he had a close relationship with his parents and siblings in Kurdistan.

“Hearing that he had died was one of the worst moments of my life.”

Teesside Crown Court heard how officers found gloves, cable ties, white nylon rope, screwdriver, and Stanley blades in a cupboard in the kitchen at the house.

CCTV footage and forensic analysis was used by detectives to identify the men involved in the conspiracy to murder Mr Hussain.

Several men have never been traced and are still on the run following the killing.

Saffari, 39, of Park Lane, Middlesbrough, was jailed for 15 years, while getaway driver 33-year-old Pirija, of Trillo Avenue, Bolton, was sentenced to 19 years in custody.

Illegal immigrant and scaffolder Marku, 25, of West Drayton, London, was also jailed for 19 years.