Tomasz Waga's family finally 'have closure' after three jailed following Cardiff killing
The family of a man who was beaten to death in Cardiff said they finally "have closure" after the three men responsible have been sentenced.
On January 28 2021 Tomasz Waga and another man had travelled to the city in an attempt to break into a cannabis factory. Mr Waga's body was then found in the Penylan area of the city later that evening.
The subsequent investigation into what happened was one of the most complex and largest ever undertaken by South Wales Police.
A trial at Newport Crown Court in December last year found three men guilty of killing Mr Waga.
On 10 January 2023, two of the men responsible, Josif Nushi and Mihal Dhana, both received life sentences for murder while a third person, Hysland Aliaj, was jailed for 10 years for manslaughter.
During the trial, the court heard that Waga and a second man, Carl Davies, had travelled to Cardiff from London on 28 January 2021 to break into a cannabis factory on Newport Road.
The organised crime gang responsible for the factory, worth £120,000, were alerted to the plans and arrived at the property just after 10:30pm.
They then attacked the pair, beating Mr Waga with various weapons including a baseball bat and half a house brick.
Mr Waga suffered 25 injuries to his head and mouth and severe bruising and swelling to the rest of his body.
He was then taken from the property in a silver Mercedes and his body was found in Westville Road, Penylan, by a member of the public at around 11:30pm.
Following the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Mark O’Shea from South Wales Police said: “Our thoughts are with the family of Tomasz Waga who was a much-loved son, brother, father, and partner to his girlfriend.
“He was a young man who made some bad choices and was in Cardiff that day for the wrong reason, however that does not excuse what took place on 28 January 2021. Events that have left a family grieving and a small baby without a father.”
Family liaison officers are supporting Mr Waga's family.
In a statement, they said: “No custodial sentence can ever reverse the permanent heartache and pain we feel daily as a family. After close to two years, we however have closure.
“Tomasz paid too great a price for the events that unfolded the night he lost his life.
“We do not wish for such tragedy to be experienced by any other family and urge individuals to consider the choices they make and the impact of their involvement, wilful or coerced, on their close ones.
“He will remain in our hearts forever.”
The police investigation into the incident involved enquiries across the UK and Europe, including arrests being made in Albania, France and Germany.
Det Supt O’Shea said: “South Wales Police has been clear from the outset that we would get to the bottom of this complex case involving organised crime groups from south-east England and Europe.
“We have chased people across the United Kingdom and across Europe and have arrested people in Germany, France and in Albania.
“We started off by not knowing who the victim was, and who was responsible, and we have got to the position where we have presented the facts of what happened that night
“As this case highlights, international borders are no barrier to us pursuing people suspected of murder in the UK, we have excellent links with law enforcement colleagues across Europe including Albania who have been tremendously helpful throughout our investigation.”
Nushi, 27, and Dhana, 29, were also found guilty of wounding with intent, and Aliaj, 31, guilty of wounding, for their attack on the man with Mr Waga - Carl Davies.
Nushi will serve a minimum of 20 years of his life sentence, and Dhana will serve a minimum of 16 years.
Cannabis factories are set up to intensively farm the plant and produce the illegal drug in bulk. They are often in empty flats, houses and garages in residential areas.
South Wales Police said they pose a fire risk as often the electricity meter has been bypassed and overloaded electrical circuits run close to water-filled pipes.
Det Supt O’Shea said: “People often talk of cannabis as being a victimless crime, but it’s not. Organised crime is behind many of these cannabis factories. The criminals are earning a lot of money off the back of our communities, and they protect their plantations by using violence and intimidation.
“We cannot get results without the support of our communities and if you suspect there are cannabis factories in your area, please let us know because it does have consequences and we’ll do something about it."