A Turkish radio station owner and DJ was abducted and killed by a gang who installed a tracker on his car and snatched him as he neared his home, a court has heard.
Mehmet Koray Alpergin and his girlfriend, Gozde Dalbudak, were both abducted in north London after leaving a restaurant in Mayfair, central London, the court was told.
Mr Alpergin was tortured and killed and Ms Dalbudak was found two days later, the Old Bailey was told.
Mr Alpergin, who was originally from northern Cyprus, was a well-known and popular figure in the British Turkish community and the owner of a Turkish-language radio station in London, Bizim FM.
"Sadistic thugs" were behind the abduction and killing, which bore the hallmarks of organised crime, the court heard.
They were taken to an empty wine bar backing on to White Hart Lane, near Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London, where Mr Alpergin, 43, was allegedly beaten, tortured and killed.
His body was dumped in woodland in Essex and Ms Dalbudak spent two days locked in a toilet before being freed, jurors were told.
Before his death, he had seemed anxious and on edge rather than his usual happy-go-lucky self, jurors heard. He was also said to have been heavily in debt with a string of claims against him, including £32,405 ($39,866) for his Audi.
Six men are on trial at the Old Bailey variously accused of murder, kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
Steffan Gordon, 34, of Northolt, Tejean Kennedy, 33, of Cricklewood Broadway, Samuel Owusu-Opoku, 35, of Wood Green, Junior Kettle, 32, of Archway, Ali Kavak, 26, from Tottenham, and Erdogan Ulcay, 56, from Camden, are in the dock.
Gordon, Kennedy, Owusu-Opoku, Kettle and Kavak deny murder and two counts of false imprisonment. Kennedy, Owusu-Opoku, Kettle, and Kavak deny kidnapping the two victims, which Gordon admits.
Ulcay and Kavak also deny perverting the course of justice, which allegedly included disposing of Mr Alpergin's body and destroying two vehicles by fire. Owusu-Opoku has admitted the charge.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC said: "It is obvious that before his death Koray Alpergin had been stripped naked and horrifically tortured.
"From the number and nature of the injuries sustained, the prosecution suggest that it is not hard to envisage a group of sadistic thugs taking it in turns to inflict injury.”
On the evening of October 13 last year, his attackers had been lying in wait for him and Ms Dalbudak after one of them installed the tracking device, it was claimed.
As they returned home to Enfield, father-of-two Mr Alpergin was bundled into a white van, while Ms Daldudak was led over to the vehicle by a masked knifeman, it was alleged.
The van and two cars drove away in convoy to an alleyway in Tottenham, jurors were told.
Mr Aylett said: "It was here, in the stadium lounge, that Koray Alpergin was murdered.
"As for Godze Dalbudak, she spent almost two days shut up inside a lavatory at the stadium lounge. It was not until the late afternoon of Saturday October 15 that she was released."
Mr Alpergin's body was taken to Loughton in Essex, where it was dumped in woods on October 15 and found by a dog walker a few hours later.
Mr Aylett said a post-mortem examination identified 94 separate injuries to his body, which was covered in cuts and bruises.
Mr Aylett told jurors: "This was, on any view, a terrible crime and one in which a large number of people played some part."
The use of vehicles with false number plates which were later burnt out bore "all the hallmarks of being linked to serious, organised crime - almost certainly drugs", it was alleged.
Mr Aylett told jurors: "The prosecution allege that Koray Alpergin was kidnapped and tortured either so that he might be punished for something that he had done or else forced to give up something that he knew – perhaps the whereabouts of either drugs or money – and which his kidnappers also wanted to know."
The trial continues.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
FORSPOKEN
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Luminous%20Productions%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Square%20Enix%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20January%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20of%20Heroes%203
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Relic%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20SEGA%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20February%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Star%20Wars%20Jedi%3A%20Survivor
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Respawn%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Electronic%20Arts%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20March%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Suicide%20Squad%3A%20Kill%20the%20Justice%20League
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Rocksteady%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Warner%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20May%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Final%20Fantasy%20XVI
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Square%20Enix%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Square%20Enix%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PS5%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20June%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Street%20Fighter%206
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Capcom%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Capcom%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PS5%2C%20XSX%2C%20PC%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20June%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Diablo%20IV
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Blizzard%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Blizzard%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20June%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Baldur's%20Gate%203
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Larian%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Larian%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Nintendo%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Nintendo%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20September%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marvel's%20Spider-Man%202
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Insomniac%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20PlayStation%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PS5%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20Fall%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Ubisoft%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Ubisoft%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%2C%20Amazon%20Luna%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Starfield
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Bethesda%20Game%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Bethesda%20Softworks%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20Xbox%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%207%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20%E2%80%93%203hrs%2029min%2042ses%3Cbr%3E2.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%20%E2%80%93%2010sec%3Cbr%3E3.%20Geoffrey%20Bouchard%20(FRA)%20AG2R%20Citroen%20Team%20%E2%80%93%2042sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenaders%20%E2%80%93%2059se%3Cbr%3E3.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20%E2%80%9360sec%3Cbr%3ERed%20Jersey%20(General%20Classification)%3A%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EGreen%20Jersey%20(Points%20Classification)%3A%20Tim%20Merlier%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EWhite%20Jersey%20(Young%20Rider%20Classification)%3A%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EBlack%20Jersey%20(Intermediate%20Sprint%20Classification)%3A%20Edward%20Planckaert%20(FRA)%20Alpecin-Deceuninck%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RACE CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
More on Quran memorisation:
More on Quran memorisation:
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
