Murder accused bought knives in Sainsbury's before 'barbaric' attack in Bristol

Five men have gone on trial accused of murder after a London man was killed ‘defending’ his cannabis factory.

Bristol Crown Court heard Aranit Lleshi died after the knife attack in Bloomfield Road, Brislington in May last year.

The fight between the groups in the Bristol suburb saw ‘barbaric levels of savagery.’

Prosecuting Barrister Anna Vigars KC told the jury: "The scene neighbours saw was shocking and fast-moving."

The court was told that when police entered the house in Bloomfield Road, officers found around £95,000 worth of cannabis ready for harvest.

The jury heard Mr Lleshi’s brother Sadik, who was part of the same group as him, is one of the accused.

The other four accused are from the alleged rival group. They are Rinush Behari, Brikel Palaj, Radian Lika, Nikola Palaj. They each deny murder and violent disorder.

Even though both groups are from London, the Palaj brothers had been in Manchester in the preceding days. They travelled south to Bristol on May 24th.

They met with other members of their group in Avon Meads car park. They then went to Bloomfield Road.

"The picture is one of two sides of a fight gathering. This isn’t about one group stealing cannabis and hoping the other isn’t around. It’s about the other group defending the cannabis," said Mrs Vigars.

She described how members of both groups were in Bloomfield Road, but then two of the group which had come to ‘steal’ the cannabis went to the nearby Sainsbury’s to buy knives.

Mrs Vigars said they were "buying kitchen knives to inflict really serious injury. They are not for inflicting scratches. They were picked out for the length of their blades and the damage they can do."

When the fight broke out, other weapons included screwdrivers, a pole, a broken broom and a trowel.

The court was told all of the accused were injured and Aranit Lleshi died as his brother tried to take him to hospital.

The trial continues.