Wife goes into hiding as husband faces extradition in murder probe

The 32-year-old sits nervously in a secret location in Hampshire as her husband faces extradition over the shooting dead of a man in the street.

The woman, who is too scared to be identified, says she is living a nightmare after her and her family have, she alleges, been wrongly suspected of being involved in the killing of a fatherof- two last month.

She told the Daily Echo how she fled abroad with her husband and his brother after the shooting amid fears they would be killed.

Now she and her brother-in-law have returned to the UK voluntarily to try to clear their names while her husband has been arrested in Europe.

The woman says her life began unravelling on May 18 as she left work to meet her husband Edmond Nela (above) who, as usual, was waiting to pick her up and walk her home.

What came next, she claims, was like a scene from a film, as she described being shot at in the street by men who came at them armed with guns and an axe.

“I just ran. I didn’t think, I just ran,” said the woman, who was born and grew up in Hampshire.

She described how after a while she turned back, thinking she would find her husband lying in the street, but instead she saw another man being helped by passers-by.

That man turned out to be Xhem Krasniqi (below), who later died in hospital from a gunshot wound to his body.

The woman says her husband and she decided to leave the country immediately.

“We were scared, scared that these people would try again. We knew we weren’t safe, we had to go.”

However, police launched a murder inquiry following the shooting in Hove last month, and witnesses identified 31-year-old Edmond as being at the scene.

They also identified his older brother Albert, 34 (below), but he claims he was in London at the time.

All three fled the country, heading for Paris and then on to Brussels.

It was there they saw appeals online by Sussex Police describing the brothers, who are originally from Albania and came to Britain 15 years ago, as wanted men.

“At that point I knew we had to come home to clear our names, the information was so wrong.

“Albert wasn’t even there and there was no mention of me so I came back,” she told the Daily Echo.

She was arrested and then taken to Brighton where she was questioned by detectives for a day on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.

Her brother-in-law was also arrested and questioned on conspiracy to commit murder. Both were released on police bail.

Meanwhile Edmond was arrested in Milan on June 14. He is still awaiting extradition for murder, two attempted murders and possession of a firearm – a pistol.

His wife said: “I know he had contacted them to say he was coming back but they arrested him out there and now he is in Italy in prison waiting to be extradited.”

Nowshe says as a result of their arrests she and her brother-inlawhave had all their possessions confiscated and they have no access to money while the investigation continues.

“I have got nothing, they took everything, I haven’t even got any documents so that I can get a job,” said the woman, who has worked in catering and was managing a restaurant at the time of the shooting.

“Looking back we shouldn’t have left but we were in genuine fear. We thought these people would try again.”

Mr Krasniqi, who is also originally from Albania, was a father of two who was living in Kent and worked as a scaffolder.

Witness accounts suggested Mr Krasniqi had been walking with his nephew and brother when he was shot.

Sussex Police said they were keeping an open mind as to the motive behind the shooting.