BMW Driver Found Guilty of Cover-Up in Brutal Mill Hill Double Murder
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.
Helped Friend After Shocking Double Stab Attack
The court heard how Ismaili rushed to aid his mate Besnik Berisha right after the horrific murders of Shkelqim Paja and Arber Fesko on 19 December 2019. Berisha, along with a second attacker Kiziku Tuwizana, ambushed and fatally stabbed the two men in Mill Hill at around 8pm.
Berisha split from his accomplice and dumped Shkelqim’s body near Elstree. Within 30 minutes, he called Ismaili, who sped from his home in Ecclesbourne Close, N13, driving his BMW to meet him. Crucially, Ismaili was insured to drive the white Peugeot van used to dump the body, raising suspicions about his role.
Nine Hours of CCTV Prove Cover-Up Trail
CCTV footage tracked the BMW and Peugeot van travelling together across London for nine hours as they tried to hide evidence. The van was finally abandoned in Carson Road, Barnet, at 3am on 20 December. Ismaili’s BMW then headed to Berisha’s home in Friern Barnet before Ismaili returned home.
But instead of parking outside, Ismaili left his car some distance away and walked back. Even more incriminating, he deleted his Ring doorbell footage – a desperate move to cover his tracks.
Fled UK, Caught Abroad, Blood Link to Murder Scene
The very next day, Ismaili fled the country via the Eurotunnel on a so-called family trip but never returned as planned on 2 January 2020. He vanished until his BMW was found by Italian police in February. The car was returned to the UK for forensic tests, which uncovered traces of Shkelqim Paja’s blood.
An international arrest warrant was issued. Ismaili was detained in Switzerland and extradited back to the UK in November 2021.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Rawlinson 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 that was used to dispose of one of the bodies and was present when it was dumped; he did not ask any questions about what was happening and his account did not stand up to scrutiny.
He deliberately wiped his doorbell footage and then fled the UK for two years. It is clear that he knew what Berisha and Tuwizana had done; he willingly tried to assist them in disposing of evidence, and now he has rightly been held to account for his actions.”
