Accomplice Caught: Mirjan Ismaili Guilty in Double Murder Cover-Up
Mirjan Ismaili, 52, a man with no fixed address, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, 28 February. He faces sentencing on Thursday, 2 March.
The Deadly Night of December 19, 2019
The jury heard how Ismaili rushed to aid his friend Besnik Berisha right after the brutal murders of Shkelqim Paja and Arber Fesko in Mill Hill. Berisha and another man, Kiziku Tuwizana, ambushed and fatally stabbed the two victims on Courtlands Avenue around 8pm.
Berisha split from Tuwizana, driving Shkelqim’s body to a remote spot near Elstree where he dumped it. Within half an hour, Berisha called Ismaili, who sped from his home in Ecclesbourne Close, N13, in his BMW to meet him.
Evidence Disposal in Full Swing
- Berisha drove a white Peugeot van—also insured to Ismaili—used to dump the body.
- CCTV caught the van and Ismaili’s BMW convoying across London over nine hours, clearly trying to erase evidence.
- The van was abandoned at 3am in Carson Road, Barnet, then Ismaili’s BMW headed to Berisha’s home in Friern Barnet before Ismaili went home.
- Ismaili suspiciously parked his car away from his address and deleted his Ring doorbell footage to cover his tracks.
Flight, Capture, and Confession of Guilt
The day after the murders, Ismaili fled the country through Eurotunnel on a family trip but never returned. He vanished until February 2020, when Italian police found his BMW. Forensic tests revealed Shkelqim’s blood in the car.
An arrest warrant was issued, and Ismaili was detained in Switzerland. He was extradited back to the UK in November 2021.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Rawlinson, Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Mirjan Ismaili did not murder Shkelqim Paja and Arber Fesko, but he played an integral part in trying to ensure those who did evaded detection. Ismaili was insured to drive the van used to dump one of the bodies and was present at the scene. He asked no questions, and his story didn’t add up. He wiped his doorbell footage and then fled the UK for two years. It’s clear he knew what Berisha and Tuwizana did. He willingly helped dispose of evidence and has now been held to account.”
