A pair of brothers helped kidnap a celebrity Turkish DJ before he was murdered and his naked body was dumped in the woods, a court has heard.
Mehmet Koray Alpergin, 43, was tortured to death after he was kidnapped along with his girlfriend Gozde Dalbudak, 32, on 13 October 2022.
He was the owner of Turkish radio station Bizim FM and had connections with stars such as rapper P Diddy and internet sensation ‘Salt Bae‘.
The DJ suffered ‘horrific’ injuries before he was killed while Ms Gozde was locked in a toilet for two days, jurors were told.
Chicken shop workers Kabeer Iqbal, 31 and Zubair Iqbal, 32, are accused of helping their friend Tejean Kennedy, 34, in carrying out the kidnap.
Zubair Iqbal owned a shop called Veri Peri in Ponders End High Street, Enfield, and Kabeer worked for him there.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett, KC, said: ‘[Mr Alpergin, known as Koray] was kidnapped and murdered on the night of 13 into 14 October 2022, almost three years ago now.
‘The prosecution allege that these two defendants helped one of the kidnappers, a man named Tejean Kennedy in the planning of the kidnapping.
Koray Alpergin was kidnapped and tortured to death after going to an Italian restaurant in Mayfair in October 2022
‘In the alternative they are charged with helping Tejean Kennedy to avoid arrest and that is really what the case against these two brothers comes down to.
‘The Crown do not suggest that either of the defendants played a direct part in the kidnap or murder of Koray Alpergin nor is it suggested that either of them had any idea Mr Alpergin was to be murdered.
‘The prosecution do however allege they both helped Tejean Kennedy to play his part in the kidnap of Mr Alpergin.’
The couple left a Mayfair restaurant and were arriving back to Mr Alpergin’s home in Enfield at around 10.25pm.
Jurors heard that a tracking device had been placed on the car allowing the group to follow it.
‘Tejean Kennedy and three other men were lying in wait in a white van that was parked close to Mr Alpergin’s flat.
‘How did the kidnapper know when Koray would be returning home?
‘The answer to that is three weeks earlier one of Tejean Kennedy’s associates had placed a tracker on Mr Alpergin’s car.
‘On the night of the kidnap there were four other men sitting nearby in a Volkswagen Polo. They had access to data on a tracker and were keeping track on Mr Alpergin’s journey home.
‘The two groups of four were keeping in contact as to Mr Alpergin’s progress.
‘As Koray Alpergin got out of his car, a man ran towards him followed by three others and although Mr Alpergin tried to run away they quickly caught him.
‘He called out for help but he was frog-marched back past his own car and bundled into the white van.
‘In due course the police found a blood stained fragment that had been torn from his shirt so he must have put up something of a fight but he had simply been outnumbered.’
He added: ‘Ms Dalbudak had stayed in the car, she was later to tell police she heard sounds of a scuffle.
‘A masked man armed with a knife had appeared at the side of the car, he told her to be quiet and moved her to the van.
‘The van was driven away with Mr Alpergin and Ms Dalbudak in the back. Ms Dalbudak has said the men were sitting on top of them.’
His girlfriend Gozde Balbudak was also kidnapped and locked in a toilet for two days before she was released
The court heard the van was driven to White Hart Lane in Tottenham close to Tottenham Hotspur football stadium.
It was said the alleyway leads to the back of wine bar and restaurant on Tottenham High Road called the Stadium Lounge, which appears to have been disused.
It was there that Koray Alpergin was subjected to a ‘horrific and sustained attack’ in which he sustained at least 94 injuries, including 14 broken ribs and severe head injuries, ligature injuries to his neck and injuries to his private parts, the court heard.
His body was taken to Loughton in Essex and dumped in the woods just over 24 hours later, where he was eventually found naked by a man walking his dog.
While Gozde Dalbudak spent almost two days shut up inside the toilets of the Stadium Lounge, the court heard.
Mr Aylett said the brothers were friends with Kennedy who was a ‘sophisticated criminal’.
‘Tejean Kennedy was regularly in touch with both of the Iqbal brothers and the prosecution allege they helped him carry out the plan to kidnap Koray Alpergin.’
Mr Aylett said Kenney left his telephone and with the Iqbal’s in Edmonton during the kidnap.
He alleged the brothers used the phone to access the internet to create the impression Kennedy was in Edmonton.
Kennedy also changed into dark clothing leaving the clothes he had been wearing in the day with the brothers, the court heard.
‘These two were party to the plan to kidnap someone who they may not have even known the name of.’
No one has yet been convicted of Mr Alpergin’s murder.
Three of the eight gang members, including Tejean Kennedy have been convicted of his manslaughter.
Two of the kidnappers, Cem Orman and Ali Yildrim, had both left the UK within a few weeks of the murder of Koray Alpergin. They are believed to be in Turkey and are believed to have been the ring-leaders.
Mr Aylett added: ‘The prosecution allege that Tejean Kennedy was a close friend of Orman and Yildrim, the two men in Turkey.
‘If Orman and Yildrim were the ring-leaders, the prosecution allege that Tejean Kennedy also played a leading role in the events of that night.
‘The prosecution allege that the two defendants before you, Zubair and Kabeer Iqbal were friends of Tejean Kennedy.’
Mr Alpergin was a ‘popular and well known figure in the Turkish community’ who founded radio station Bizim FM.
Kennedy was previously convicted of the manslaughter of Mr Alpergin.
Kabeer, of Montagu Gardens, Edmonton, and Zubair, of Howard Road, Ilford, deny conspiracy to kidnap and an alternative charge of assisting an offender.
The trial continues.
