THE jury in the trial of a man charged with the murder of a father-of-two is due to hear its first evidence in the morning (Tuesday, March 29).

Eugert Merizaj is accused of murdering Hemawand Ali Hussein in Hartlepool in September 2019 when he suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

The 31-year-old is appearing at Teesside Crown Court where the trial is expected to last for ten days.

Father-of-two Mr Hussein, 30, was found dead with a gunshot wound in a property in Hartlepool’s Charterhouse Street.

The Northern Echo: Hemawand Ali HusseinHemawand Ali Hussein

Three men were jailed over Mr Hussein’s death after a trial at Teesside Crown Court last year.

Noza Saffari, 39, of Park Lane, Middlesbrough, was jailed for 15 years after he was convicted of manslaughter and cleared of murder.

Qazim Marku, 25, of Maxwell Road, West Drayton, in London, Dorian Pirija, 33, of Trillo Avenue, Bolton, each got 19 years after they were also found guilty of manslaughter and cleared of murder.

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

In a victim impact statement, Jennifer 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.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054