'Scarface' serial killer Mane Drize found guilty of fifth murder
The Albanian, who stabbed a 23-year-old to death in north London, was flown in to appear at the Old Bailey from an Italian prison.
Wednesday 20 March 2019 17:42, UK
A serial killer nicknamed "Tony Montana" after the central character in Scarface has been found guilty of his fifth murder.
Mane Driza, who is a fan of the gangster movie starring Al Pacino, beat and stabbed Stefan Bledar Mone at the victim's flat in Wembley, north London, in June 1999.
The 41-year-old killer used a pick axe, lock knife and cheese knife to inflict more than 120 wounds on Mr Mone in a "brutal and merciless attack".
Mr Mone's girlfriend Zoe Blay, who was six months pregnant at the time, found the 23-year-old's body the next day but could only identify him by his distinctive belt buckle.
Driza, a stonemason, had become furious that his fellow Albanian flatmate Mr Mone had taken his wedding ring and given it to his partner, his trial at the Old Bailey heard.
The killer had moved in with the Mr Mone after his brief marriage to Brazilian cleaner Rosie Driza broke down, the court heard.
A jury deliberated for two-and-a-half hours before finding Driza guilty.
The killer appeared in the dock at the Old Bailey after being flown over from an Italian prison where he is serving a sentence for previous murder convictions.
Jurors heard how Driza's attack on Mr Mone came two years after he shot a father and son dead in his home village and fled to Britain under the assumed name Sokol Drenova.
After killing Mr Mone, his third victim, he flew to Italy where he shot and killed two men at a bar in Catania, Sicily, six months later.
He tried to kill a third man in the bar but his gun jammed, jurors heard.
While in prison in Sicily in 2000, he was interviewed by Scotland Yard about the killing in London.
He claimed Mr Mone had been in prison with one of his victims in Albania and had been paid to avenge his death.
According to translators, he said: "He was sure of one thing - that Bledar Mone was paid to kill him, because before this Bledar Mone was in prison together with the man he killed in Albania.
"He went to live with him because he had caused him to gain his trust."
Driza claimed Mr Mone had come at him with a knife and struck him with a baseball bat on the day of the killing.
An interview transcript stated: "He saw a lot of blood. He does not remember because he lost control of himself. The whole problem was Bledar Mone wanted to kill him."
In 2001, Driza was convicted in Albania in his absence of two charges of "premeditated murder in complicity of citizens" along with his father.
He was convicted in Sicily of conspiracy to murder Maskaj Artan and Blushaj Albert, and the attempted murder of Maskaj Lefter, in Sicily in 2002.
Driza's sentence in Italy runs until 2026, the court heard.
Judge Sarah Munro QC adjourned sentencing until 3 April.
She told Driza: "As you know the sentence for murder in this country is fixed by law and I will be passing a life sentence upon you.
"The only question for me to resolve is how long a term you should serve as part of that life sentence and what, if any, part during which you have been remanded should count towards that sentence I pass."