Man allegedly murdered by gang ‘died from blunt impact to head and chest’

A CANNABIS thief allegedly murdered by an Albanian drugs gang died from blunt impact to his head and chest caused by stamps and fists, a court has heard.

Tomasz Waga was found dead in Cardiff having received injuries to his head and mouth, his ribs, arms and bruising to his brain.

Mr Waga and an associate named Carl Davies broke into a cannabis factory in Newport Road in an attempt to steal plants worth £120,000, on January 28 last year. But they were interrupted by gardener Hysland Aliaj who lived and worked at the factory.

A trial at Newport Crown Court heard Aliaj notified members of an organised criminal gang who “descended” on the factory and attacked the burglars. Mr Waga was said to have been beaten with a baseball bat, a bamboo cane and half a house brick.

It’s alleged the victim was dragged out of the house into a Mercedes belonging to Gledis Mehalla and kidnapped, before his body was dumped in Westville Road. His body was later found the same evening and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gledis Mehalla, of no fixed abode, 20; Mihal Dhana, 29, of Colum Road, Cardiff; Josif Nushi, 27, of Ninian Road, Cardiff; and 31-year-old Hysland Aliaj, of no fixed abode, all deny murder.

On Friday, Dr Deryk James gave evidence about his findings during a post-mortem on Mr Waga’s body. He said the deceased sustained in the region of 30 injuries externally, including purple and black bruises to his hairline, and a three-and-ahalf centimetre gaping wound to the right side of his jaw.

Mr Waga also had a number of internal injuries caused by blunt impact. Dr James said the brain was slightly swollen and there was bleeding in the muscles in the neck, likely caused by the “violent” movement of the head from side to side. There was significant bleeding and clots in the windpipe and in both lungs, and there were three rib fractures and two vertebrae fractures.

The official cause of death was initially given as blunt impact to the head and chest but Dr James said Mr Waga also died as a result of his airways being obstructed by blood. He was asked by prosecutor Greg Bull KC to describe how the injuries may have been caused.

Dr James said: “The injuries to the right lower chest and right side of the back are the kind of injuries one sees from kicks and stamps, there are substantial localised areas of injury. I can’t tell you exactly how they were caused but in the context of an assault that’s a common explanation.

“They might represent impacts from a weapon, I know a baseball bat has been mentioned in this case and a baseball bat might have been used but there are no marks typical of a baseball bat. That may have been because of injuries through clothing or maybe because they are stamps rather than blows from a weapon.”

The doctor was also asked about injuries to the head. He said: “The injuries to the head are a combination of punches, kicks and stamps, perhaps with injuries from a weapon as well. Most of the injuries are localised blunt impact... two injuries come from types of soles of shoes and several curved edges seen from footwear. Probably from fists, blows and possibly with a weapon as well.”

The trial continues.