Two men have received life sentences for killing a man during a premeditated attack in York.
Jobie Tyers, 28, of no fixed address, and Michael Richard Mulvana, 32, from York, were both found guilty of murder following an extensive North Yorkshire Police investigation.
They stabbed Indrit Mustafaj, 26, who was known as ‘Mustang’, and injured another man and a woman after forcing their way into a bedsit in the Haxby Road area of York.
The pair wore face coverings and had armed themselves with weapons including a crow bar to “tax” the occupants of drugs they believed were at the property.
However, during the attack they found a large machete at the address which was used to stab Mr Mustafaj a number of times.
He was taken to hospital with severe wounds and died from a severed artery.
The two other victims were given medical treatment and both have made recoveries.
Detectives from North Yorkshire Police’s Major Investigation Team launched a fast-moving investigation following the incident, which happened on 23 November 2024.
Tyers and Mulvana were both identified as suspects and arrested within a day of the attack.
Just three days later they had been charged with the murder of Mr Mustafaj – who was originally from Albania but lived in Bradford – and appeared at York Magistrates’ Court.
Life sentence: Michael Mulvana
The case was sent to crown court where both men faced charges of murder, robbery and assault.
Tyers pleaded guilty to robbery and denied the other offences, whereas Mulvana denied all charges.
But a jury found them guilty following a trial that concluded on Tuesday (3 February).
Today a judge at Leeds Crown Court gave both men life sentences. Each will have to serve a minimum of 27 years and 295 days before they can even be considered for release from prison.
Speaking after the hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Naughton said:
Mr Mustafaj’s death was both brutal and tragic. While his attackers brought weapons to carry out this premeditated attack, our investigation revealed that the fatal injuries were inflicted with a machete they found when they got to the bedsit.
It was probably there with the intention of using it in self-defence, in the event of an attack like this. But by owning a knife you’re potentially arming your attacker.
As detectives, sadly we see people lose their lives in this way and we also see the impact on their families’ lives when they’re gone. Both of these consequences are horrendous and show how dangerous possessing or carrying a knife can be.
Mulvana and Tyers are violent individuals who will now have an extremely long time in custody to reflect on what they’ve done.
