Murder suspect will be charged following release from Romanian prison next September
Police have confirmed they will charge a man over the murder of a Black Country pizza shop owner after he is released from prison in Romania next September.
Masoud Esmailian, aged 46, was found dead by police at his home in Montgomery Walk, West Bromwich, on August 30, 2015 with two stab wounds.
Andrei Ilie, who was the last person to be seen with Mr Esmailian before he was alive, had been 'helping out' at Roma Pizza, which was run by the victim, but fled the country as police looked to speak with him in relation to the murder.
Ilie is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for two non-related matters in the Arges County of Romania, which begun in September 2015.
Speaking at an inquest into the death of Mr Esmailian, West Midlands Police detective inspector Justin Spanner said: "We had been told that Ilie, a Romanian national, had been helping the victim with the general day to day running of his pizza shop business for a few weeks prior to the murder.
"Having spoken to friends of his after he fled the country, we know that he was short of money and needed cash to purchase a ticket back to Romania.
"We later discovered that takings of £1,000 from the shop were unnacounted for.
"We also found a towel covered in blood at the home of Ilie, and we have confirmed that blood is a match with the victim.
"There were also fingerprints on the packaging for the knife used in the murder which we have confirmed belong to Ilie after having them sent over from his prison in Romania.
"The Crown Prosecution Service have advised us we have enough evidence to charge him and that is what we will do.
"When he is released from prison next September in Romania, he will be brought to England, charged with murder and court proceedings will begin."
Senior Coroner Zaffar Siddique delivered a verdict of unlawful killing during the inquest at Oldbury Coroner's Court on Monday and said: "I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family."
In a statement released by Mr Esmailian’s family at the time of his death, it said he was ‘a caring, loving person who always thought of others before himself’.
