A former Albanian asylum seeker who first entered Britain under a false identity has been convicted of murdering an elderly couple in their rural cottage.

Vital Dapi, who went by the name Ali Qazimaj, killed Peter Stuart, 75, and his wife Sylvia, 69, because he thought they were millionaires and needed cash to cover his gambling debts.

He stabbed Mr. Stewart nine times before dumping his body in a ditch near his cottage in Weybread, Suffolk. Mrs. Stewart’s body has never been found, but traces of her hairs have been found in Mr. Dapi’s car.

He went on the run after the murders and was eventually arrested in Luxembourg where he admitted his true identity. However, British officials did not believe him, and he was put on trial under his false name.

Mr. Dapi first came to Britain clinging to a truck’s fuel tank in 1999 and was granted asylum after falsely telling officials he was fleeing the war in Kosovo where his entire family had been killed.

His brother-in-law told the Daily Mail: “Vital bought a Yugoslavian passport from a Kosovar and switched the picture for his own.

“He knew that he needed to have documents from Kosovo to get permanent residency in England.”

He was awarded UK citizenship under his false name in 2005, but regularly returned to see his family in Albania and worked as a suspected hitman in the Balkans.

Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC told the court: “He is an arrogant man, he is a professional deceiver, he is a callous murderer.”

Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke said: “This is an astonishing and extremely worrying story. It yet again underlines the vital importance of border security, tough checks and making sure people arriving are who they say they are.”