A Syrian fugitive who was wanted for trying to murder a man over a parking row in Romania was found living in a British council house claiming benefits.
Mohamad Agha was wanted by Romanian officials after being convicted of trying to murder Galea Andrei Calin with a pickaxe in August 2020.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard heard how Agha rowed with a driver after he parked near his home in Bucium, Romania, before striking him in the head with a pickaxe handle.
Having initially attended the trial, he skipped the last two hearings before heading to the UK.
Agha was eventually convicted in his absence and sentenced to four years in a Romanian jail, reports MailOnline.
However, he challenged his conviction while living in the UK but failed in March 2023 and was made the subject of a European Arrest Warrant.
After leaving Syria, Agha spent time in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Romania, where he met his current wife in 2017, the 51-year-old came to the UK with his wife in 2018.
The couple has two daughters, now aged four and two, who were both born in the UK.
Agha told the court he previously worked as a lorry driver in Newport while living in Cardiff, however suffered a back injury after slipping on ice in 2023 and subsequently began claiming disability benefits.
His wife, Ramona, said: "We decided to come to the UK so we could have a better life for our future children. I didn't have a good life in Romania. It's hard to make a living there, so we decided to move to the UK.
"Mohammed was a lorry driver. I do not have a job. I was a carer for Mohammed after he had an accident where he slipped on some ice. I think this happened in 2023.
"He injured his back very badly. We barely make do on Universal Credit. We get between £1,600 and £2,000. We are struggling financially. Before Mohammed went to prison, he was classified as disabled and was receiving Personal Independence Payments (Pip). He received about £500 every month."
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When asked why he did not attend the final criminal court hearing, he told the court he "did not feel the judge was being fair".
District Judge John Zani wrote in his judgment: "Until his arrest and remand by this court, he had been living with his wife and their two young children in council accommodation.
"They are said to be a close family and both the requested person (RP) and his wife express concerns about the adverse effect that extradition will have on them all.
"The wife is said to be struggling financially and emotionally since he has been remanded in custody. Ramona says that she receives between £1,600 and £2,000 per month by way of UK state benefits. This is not an insubstantial amount.
"In my opinion, the criminal conduct set out in the arrest warrant is very serious. It is appreciated that there will be hardship caused to the RP and to his wife and their children. However, as counsel will be aware, that of itself is not sufficient to prevent an order for extradition from being made."
During the full extradition hearing on October 29, the court head how Agha he had been granted five years' leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office.
However, the court was not told when the permission was granted, on what basis it had been approved, or when it was due to expire.
The court also confirmed that Agha was extradited to Romania on July 30.
GB News has contacted the Home Office for comment.
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