Masoud Esmailian murder: Accused appears in court
A Romanian accused of murdering a Black Country pizza shop owner has appeared in court.
Andrei Cosmin Ilie was before a judge at Birmingham Crown Court this morning having been brought to the UK under the terms of a European Arrest Warrant.
He is charged with the murder of father-of-two Masoud Esmailian. The victim was found by police on August 28, 2015, at his home in Montgomery Walk, West Bromwich, after a concerned relative had raised the alarm.
A post mortem revealed the 46-year-old had died of a stab injury.
Ilie, aged 22, of no fixed address, appeared in the dock wearing a hooded jacket and jeans and was assisted by a Romanian interpreter.
During the short hearing he spoke only to confirm his name.
He will next appear at the same court on January 22 when he is expected to enter a plea to the charge against him.
Ilie was remanded in custody. A provisional trial date has been set for May next year.
Following Mr Esmailian's death, his family, said: “Masoud was a caring, loving person who always thought of others before himself and was always there to help people who needed it."
