MAN IN PLEA OVER ITALY MURDER CONVICTION ‘HORROR’

Edmond Arapi with his wife, Georgina, and his youngest child

THE INDEPENDENT

A father of three facing extradition from the UK over a murder committed in Italy when he claims he was not in the country appealed to the British and Italian authorities today to "end this horror and allow me to carry on my life in peace".

Edmond Arapi, a chef from Leek, Staffordshire, was convicted by an Italian court in his absence in 2006 and sentenced to 16 years in jail for the murder of Castillo Marcello, who was stabbed to death in Genoa in October 2004.

Fair Trials International, which is supporting Mr Arapi's fight against extradition, said the 29-year-old Albanian did not leave the UK between 2000-2006 and was working at a Staffordshire cafe on the day of the killing.

Chief executive Jago Russell said: "The ordeal the Arapi family are going through has to be anyone's worst nightmare.

"Edmond had no idea he was being tried for murder in Italy and had no chance to prove that he wasn't even in Italy when the crime was committed.

"If extradited, Edmond will leave behind a wife, a newborn baby and his two young daughters and could spend years in a foreign jail."

Mr Arapi said: "The injustice of this case speaks for itself.