The attackers collectively held over 70 convictions. One of them, Jason Furtado, 28, should have been deported. Born in the UK to asylum-seeking parents, Furtado had twice appealed against the Home Office’s efforts to remove him to Portugal, where he held citizenship. His second appeal was dismissed in April 2022.
Between the deportation decision and the murders, Furtado had been released from prison for theft and, in November 2022, was placed on immigration bail with electronic monitoring. He was wearing a GPS tracker at the time of the killings.
By the time Furtado was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of Reid and Shekaj, he had nine previous convictions for 27 offences, and had spent 34 months in prison over 52 months. The sentencing judge described the group’s behaviour as “appalling,” citing court outbursts, fights in the dock, and destructive conduct in custody.
The Home Office did not clarify the conditions of Furtado’s immigration bail or whether active deportation plans were in place. Immigration bail is typically used when there is no realistic prospect of immediate removal or ongoing claims are under consideration. In the year ending June 2023, around 11,000 individuals, including asylum seekers and foreign national offenders, were released on immigration bail.
Klevi Shekaj’s mother, Valbona, told The Times:
“It is heartbreaking and frustrating that people with such serious histories were still able to commit this crime. Serious system failures allowed dangerous individuals to remain free, and this ultimately cost Klevi his life.
He was caring, kind and deeply loved. I hope his memory inspires conversations about justice, preventing violence and protecting innocent lives.”
Furtado’s parents arrived in the UK as Angolan nationals in September 1996, claiming asylum. Furtado was born in December 1996 and grew up primarily with his mother in Islington, speaking Portuguese. An anonymous source described Furtado’s early life as influenced by his uncle, who was reportedly involved in criminal activity.
Furtado attended multiple schools and pupil referral centres, where he was frequently described as “very disruptive” before being expelled at 16. Offender assessment reports cited frequent fights, bullying and no evidence of qualifications or paid employment, noting that gang involvement dominated his life.
His criminal history began at 16 with driving and drug offences, escalating to theft, robbery, and violent assaults over the following years. Notably, in May 2015, Furtado participated in a gang raid on a luxury shop in Mayfair, stealing 57 handbags worth £74,035, resulting in a 21-month sentence at a young offenders institution.
Furtado repeatedly appealed against Home Office deportation decisions. The first-tier tribunal in 2016 granted his appeal, citing long-term UK residence and lack of imperative grounds for removal. Subsequent appeals and tribunal hearings upheld deportation orders, but Furtado remained in the UK on immigration bail or detention until the murders in 2023.
Judges repeatedly noted his limited integration into the UK, despite being born and raised there, and highlighted his persistent criminal activity, poor conduct in detention, and gang associations as factors supporting deportation to Portugal.
During sentencing, the judge acknowledged mitigating circumstances, including Furtado’s young child and strong family bonds. A Home Office spokesperson said:
“It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases, but when foreign nationals commit serious crimes in our country, we will always do everything in our power to deport them. This government deported almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year in office, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.”
