A mother from the UK who is wanted in Albania for allegedly being part of a “hit squad” is resisting extradition from a undisclosed location due to concerns of potential retaliation. Harriet Bridgeman, aged 30, is accused of pretending to be a tourist along with three others as they stayed at a luxury hotel belonging to their supposed target, Ardian Nikulaj. They are alleged to have tracked his movements while enjoying complimentary meals from Nikulaj and engaging in conversation with his spouse.
Shortly after, one of the suspected group members entered the hotel restaurant and fatally shot Nikulaj six times at close range. Disturbing CCTV footage of the incident in April 2023 shows the assailant using a Soviet-made firearm before fleeing the scene. Bridgeman is currently residing in a coastal hotel under a nighttime curfew, after her father posted a £20,000 bond at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
District Judge Michael Snow has imposed a publication ban on Bridgeman’s location to safeguard her from potential harm. Unaware of her alleged involvement in the murder plot, she is allowed to interact with other guests and families at the hotel. The other suspects include Steven Hunt, aged 51, Thomas Mithan, aged 37, from Bristol, and Harry Simpson, aged 34, a convicted drug dealer from Abbey Wood, south London. Albanian authorities assert that one of them signaled the shooter to carry out the attack.
Edmond Haxhia, a 40-year-old British-Albanian, is accused of orchestrating the assassination as part of a long-standing feud spanning 25 years between his family and the victim’s, originating from a previous murder in 1997. This ongoing vendetta has resulted in multiple fatalities and allegedly began over financial disputes. Bridgeman, Hunt, Mithan, and Haxhia were arrested in the UK on international warrants shortly after the killing.
Despite a ruling for their extradition, the five individuals have not been sent to Albania pending an appeal at the Court of Appeal spanning three days. The Home Office has acknowledged a potential error in the proceedings that could jeopardize the case. Originally facing charges of illegal firearm possession and murder in Albania, the suspects are now accused of “pre-meditated murder” after the firearms charges were dropped.
Seeking to rectify the error, the Home Office has requested written assurance from Albania regarding the charges the suspects would face to prevent any legal exploitation. Albania has reportedly provided the necessary documentation ahead of the recent appeal hearing.