Hartlepool murder trial hears victim's partner believed killing was drugs-related

Jennifer Buller told police she believed Kurdish-born British citizen Hamawand Ali Hussain to be involved in cannabis dealing.

Mr Hussain, of Stockton, was killed at a house in Charterhouse Street on Saturday, September 14 in 2019.

He is alleged to have been shot at point-blank range with a sawn-off shotgun.

Four men Noza Saffari, 39, who is Iranian of Kurdish origin; and Albanians Anxhelo Xhaferi, 24, Dorian Pirija, 33, and Qazim Marku, 24, are standing trial accused of murder.

When interviewed by Cleveland Police on October 3 in 2019, Miss Buller said she believed Mr Hussain, 30, had been involved in cannabis.

Asked about his level of involvement she said she understood him to be a higher level than street dealing and heard references to ‘boxes’ of the drug.

On the day he was killed Miss Buller said Mr Hussain went to Middlesbrough after speaking to what she understood to be some Albanians on the phone.

The officer asked her: “Did you have any reason to believe Hamawand’s death is as a result of anything to do with drugs and the activities he’s involved in?”

Miss Buller replied: “I think it is. What else. That’s the only thing that I can think.”

She said she did not know how much money he made from his involvement in drugs but said he would pay £1,000 into the bank at a time.

The officer added: “Is there any other reason why he could have been killed, anyone he had upset recently? Did he have enemies?”

Miss Buller said: “Not that I’m aware of.”

Asked about Mr Hussain’s links to Hartlepool, she said he had a Kurdish friend who lived in the town but that was all she knew.

The officer asked: “Was there any reason why he would have gone to Hartlepool that Saturday?”

Miss Buller said: “No.”

She said Mr Hussain was someone who could make friends with anyone he met.

Saffari, of Park Lane; Xhaferi, of Acton Street, both Middlesbrough; Pirija, of Trillo Avenue, Bolton; and Marku, of Maxwell Road, West Drayton, London, deny murder.

The trial continues.

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