Armend Xhika: Three men cleared of murder after 'car crash row'

Armend Xhika, 22, died of multiple stab wounds.

Three men have been cleared of murdering a 22-year-old who was stabbed to death in Sheffield.

Mentor Selmani, 28, Marsid Senia, 25, and Mardov Dushku, 30, were accused of killing Armend Xhika in Burngreave during a row over a car crash in 2021.

A jury at Sheffield Crown Court could not reach a verdict on an alternative charge of manslaughter for Selmani, 28, and Senia, 25, but convicted both of wounding a friend of Mr Xhika.

Mr Dushku was cleared of all charges.

Mr Xhika died from multiple stab wounds following a clash between two groups of Albanian men in Earl Marshal Road on 13 May 2021.

Prosecutors told the trial he had arranged to meet one of the men, Eljaso Cela, to settle a dispute after the pair were said to have been involved in a car crash in Rotherham earlier that day.

CCTV footage played in court showed the men talking before Mr Cela lunged at Mr Xhika, sparking a violent melee.

Three of Mr Xhika's friends were also badly injured in the incident.

Violence broke out in Earl Marshal Road following a dispute over a car crash.

Selmani, of Matcham Road, London, Senia, of Burrett Street, Bradford, and Mr Dushku, of Shirecliffe Lane, Sheffield, were all charged with murder and three counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

All three were found not guilty of murder on Thursday after more than 20-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

Selmani, who had claimed he did not stab anyone during the violence and had brandished a knife only to "frighten" Mr Xhika's group, was convicted of one count of wounding with intent and one alternative charge of unlawful wounding.

Senia was found guilty of one count of wounding with intent.

The jury could not reach a verdict on one alternative charge of unlawful wounding for both Selmani and Senia.

The Crown Prosecution Service has been given two weeks to decide whether to seek a retrial on the four charges on which no verdict was reached.

Eljaso Cela and his brother, Mateo, have also been accused of Mr Xhika's murder but have been on the run since his death and did not stand trial.

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