Albanian who used false identity jailed for manslaughter

Balla had been living under a false name when he committed the attack

An Albanian man has been jailed, more than 17 years after causing a severe brain injury that eventually killed his boss - after he returned to the UK using a different name.

Arjan Balla chased down and attacked businessman Anastassios Delis at a building site in Queensway, Southampton in 2006.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Mr Delis struck his head on the concrete floor and never regained consciousness.

At the time of the attack Balla had been living in the UK under a false name before being deported after serving part of his original sentence.

His injuries left Mr Delis in a permanent vegetative state until his death in 2017 aged 68.

Following Mr Delis' death, the CPS authorised the charge of manslaughter against Balla and inquiries led prosecutors to uncover his real identity.

Balla had been using the name Tahir Karaj at the time of the offence and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in 2007, of which he served one year before he was deported to his native Albania.

Following inquiries by Hampshire Police, National Crime Agency, Interpol and the Albanian authorities, Balla's true identity was revealed in January 2024.

He was arrested when he arrived at Stanstead Airport just three days later.

Balla pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge at Southampton Crown Court and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.

Anthony Johns, senior crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said the case had been "incredibly tragic".

"While Mr Delis remained alive for 11 years after the attack he did not regain consciousness, robbing him and his loved ones of a future together," he said.

Mr Johns added that Mr Delis' family were "undoubtedly the living victims", and that he hoped the sentencing would "help them move forward" with their lives.