Mohamad Agha, a Syrian fugitive wanted for attempted murder in Romania, was extradited from Britain after living in council housing and receiving state benefits.
The 51-year-old was handed over to Romanian authorities on July 30 to serve a four-year prison sentence. Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that British taxpayers funded much of his time evading justice.
Agha fled to the UK after attacking a driver near his former home in Bucium, Romania, on August 26, 2020. Court records state he rowed with Galea Andrei Calin over a parking space before striking him in the head with a pick axe handle.
Calin was left unconscious after the attack and suffered traumatic injuries that required 25 days of hospital care. Agha was charged with attempted murder and attended his trial, but he skipped the final two hearings before leaving Romania for Britain.
He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to four years in a Romanian prison. He challenged his conviction while living in the UK, but he failed in March 2023 and became 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, Ramona, 44, in 2017. He arrived in the UK with his wife in 2018, and the couple married in Britain in 2020 while dividing their time between both countries.
They have two daughters, now aged four and two, who were both born in the UK. Agha also has a stepdaughter and another daughter living in Romania.
Home Office leave and benefit payments
During a full extradition hearing on October 29, Agha told the court 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 legal basis it had been approved, or when it was due to expire.
The five-year leave to remain route is open to certain asylum seekers as well as spouses of citizens of the European Economic Area, including Romania. Under this status, individuals are permitted to work and can later apply for permanent residence. The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
Agha told the court he previously worked as a lorry driver in Newport while living in Cardiff, but he suffered a severe back injury after slipping on ice in 2023. He subsequently stopped working and began claiming disability benefits.
His wife, Ramona, told the court that she was not employed and acted as his carer following the accident. "We decided to come to the UK so we could have a better life for our future children," she said. "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."
She added that the family relied on Universal Credit payments of between £1,600 and £2,000 per month. "We barely make do on universal credit," she said. "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."
Extradition fight and judicial ruling
Agha was arrested by the National Crime Agency's extradition unit on April 10, 2025, following a Europe-wide manhunt. The extradition proceedings dragged on for 15 months, concluding after the High Court refused him permission to appeal last month.
Agha told the court he did not attend the final criminal hearing in Romania because he did not feel the judge was being fair. He challenged his extradition on human rights grounds, arguing it would severely affect his wife and two young children who lived with him in council accommodation.
District Judge John Zani noted in his written judgment that Agha lived with his wife and young children in council housing until his arrest and remand. The judge acknowledged concerns about the financial and emotional impact on the family, noting that Ramona was struggling since Agha entered custody.
However, District Judge Zani described state benefit payments of £1,600 to £2,000 per month as "not an insubstantial amount." He concluded that the criminal conduct outlined in the arrest warrant was very serious and ruled that family hardship was insufficient to prevent extradition.
