Brits alleged to have been in 'hit squad sent to Albania' avoid extradition for murder of businessman Ardian Nikulaj

FOUR Brits, including a single mum, who are alleged to have been in a "murder squad" that carried out reconnaissance before a businessman was shot to death in his own five-star hotel bar in Albania have avoided extradition on a technicality.

Edmond Haxhia, 40, the British-Albanian accused of arranging the hit as part of a more than 25-year-long "blood feud", has also avoided extradition after the Court of Appeal discharged each of their extradition requests.

The court heard that Haxhia, 40, is accused of hiring the four Brits to help plan the execution recruiting as part of a 25-year blood feud between his relatives and those of the victim, which allegedly stemmed back to another murder in 1997.

The feud has already led to seven killings and is alleged to have begun in a row over money.

Harriet Bridgeman, 30, (top left) Steven Hunt, 52, Thomas Mithan, 37, from Bristol, and convicted drug dealer Harry Simpson, 35, (top right) from Abbey Wood, south London, deny all of the allegations, as does Hoxhia.

The four Brits are said to have posed as tourists as they checked into a five-star hotel owned by their alleged target Ardian Nikulaj, 51.

The four are accused of monitoring his movements while accepting free meals from Mr Nikulaj, while chatting with his wife.

Another suspected member of the gang Ruben Saraiva was convicted of the murder in Albania last month.

He walked into the hotel restaurant and shot him six times at point blank range a few days after the four arrived in the country.

Saraiva, who was raised in  Reading, Berkshire, from the age of four, was jailed for life without parole.

Horrific CCTV footage of the April 2023 incident captured the moment Saraiva, dressed as a delivery driver, launched the attack with a Soviet-made automatic pistol before shooting him six times then fleeing.

The Portuguese-born British resident was arrested in Morocco where he allegedly made it to after the attack before being extradited.

Bridgeman, Hunt, Mithan and Haxhia were arrested on international arrest warrants from Albania in the UK within days of the murder.

All five contested extradition at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

In August 2024, following the full extradition hearing, District Judge Daniel Sternberg said Bridgeman, Mithan, Simpson and Haxhia should be sent to Albania.

He sent the case to the then Home Secretary for a final decision, which also approved the extradition.

He said in his judgment: "The Government of Albania's case is that Edmond Haxhia organised the shooting of Ardian Nikulaj by Reuben Saraiva on 19 April 2023 and that the other requested persons, Steven Hunt, Thomas Mithan, Harriet Bridgeman and Harry Simpson were involved in observations of the victim's movements in the days leading up to the shooting, and in Simpson's case on the day of the shooting itself, and that each of them played a part in the planning and execution of the murder."

Yet, lawyers for the five mounted an appeal on grounds that the extradition request was changed during proceedings so the extradition order that the Home Secretary had originally certified before the hearing was no longer valid.

The extradition order stated that all the suspects had been charged in Albania with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and murder. However, in September 2023 the Albanian authorities dropped the firearms charges, replacing them with counts of "premeditated murder".

Judge Mr Justice Swift said in his judgement: " 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."

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."