Cardiff: Tomasz Waga murdered for stealing cannabis - court

A man was allegedly murdered by a drug gang for trying to steal a cannabis crop worth £120,000, a court has heard.

The body of Tomasz Waga, 23, was found in a Cardiff street on 28 January 2021.

Mr Waga and Carl Davies were caught by a gang breaking into a property on Newport Road in the Roath area of the city, Newport Crown Court was told.

Josif Nushi and Mihal Dhana of Cardiff, Gledis Mehalla, no fixed address, Mario Qato, of London and Hysland Aliaj, address unknown, all deny murder.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Greg Bull KC told the court Mr Waga and Mr Davies were attacked with baseball bats and bricks minutes after breaking into the semi-detached house.

Mr Waga had suffered multiple injuries to his head, chest, ribs and arms when his body was found by a member of the public in the Penylan area.

Mr Bull said the defendants had "formed a criminal gang" and were all responsible for his death.

He added: "They were given a good beating, to stop them stealing and to teach them a lesson for having the gall to steal".

The cannabis growing enterprise at the property was so profitable that the members of the gang were prepared to protect it "if necessary at all costs".

News of the Cardiff cannabis factory had spread to people in other parts of the country who wanted to share in the profits, the court was told.

Mr Waga and three other men travelled from Dagenham in east London to Cardiff on 28 January to steal the cannabis, a decision described by the prosecution as "foolhardy".

He and Mr Davies broke into the house through a kitchen window using a screwdriver they had brought with them and found multiple cannabis plants.

However, when they tried to open a locked door, one of the defendants, Hysland Aliaj, was holding it shut from the other side and alerted the rest of the group by phone, the court heard.

Within minutes a plan was hatched to "descend" on the property "to protect the haul", Mr Bull said.

Mr Waga and Mr Davies began cutting the cannabis and putting it into a duvet cover, not realising that the men were on the way.

Mr Davies was seriously injured with a baseball bat, bamboo cane and half a house brick before the gang allegedly turned on Mr Waga.

"He was bundled into a Mercedes car and driven off. We don't know what happened in the car but very shortly afterwards, he was dead," said Mr Bull.

His hooded top was later found at the property.

The jury of six men and six women were told his body was dumped in Westville Road, where it was discovered later that evening.

Josif Nushi, 27, of Ninian Road, Cardiff, Mihal Dhana, 29, of Colum Road, Cardiff, and Hysland Aliaj, 30, address unknown, and others are also accused of wounding Mr Davies with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They are also charged with unlawful wounding.

Mr Dhana and others are accused of conspiring with Mr Nushi, Mr Aliaj and others to produce a Class B drug between 1 and 28 January last year.

Mr Qato, 27, of Landsdowne Road, London, is also accused of being a member of an organised crime group involving the production and supply of cannabis.

All five defendants deny all the charges.

The trial continues and is expected to last eight weeks.