Hove murder trial opens

The trial of a Brighton man accused of murdering a father of two in a Hove street started this morning (Wednesday 22 January).

Edmund Nela, 31, is accused of shooting dead 32-year-old scaffolder Xhem Krasniqi, a fellow Albanian, in Selborne Road, off Church Road, Hove, on a Saturday night in May last year.

Philip Bennetts QC told the jury at Hove Crown Court that there had been problems between Mr Krasniqi’s brother Ismail Zeneli and Edmund Nela and his brother Albert Nela.

Mr Krasniqi was in a car being driven by his nephew Kelmed Murataj when they saw the defendant and his wife Victoria Gale.

Mr Bennetts said that Nela had filed a defence saying that the men got out of the car.

Nela, a martial arts expert, tackled one of the men who had a gun which went off accidentally.

He disarmed the man and fire what were meant to be warning shots.

Citing the defence case, Mr Bennetts said: “He did not take aim. He does not know if any of these shots were the fatal shots. He discarded the firearm and ran way.”

He said: “The prosecution evidence is that only Edmund Nela is seen in possession of a firearm

“Only Edmund Nela is seen firing a weapon before leaving the scene.

“On the evidence of the eyewitnesses some of the deceased’s group were armed with a piece of wood and a baseball bat.

“Why fire at them when eyewitnesses describe the group as crouching down and taking cover?

“The defendant was not acting in reasonable self-defence. When he fired the shot his intention was to kill.”

The trial continues.