Trial Begins in the Murder of London Poker Player Mehmet Hassan
In March 2014, professional gambler Mehmet Hassan, 56, was found dead in his London home after what appeared to be a premeditated burglary. Eventually, three people — Leonie Granger, Nicholas Chandler, and Kyrron Jackson — were arrested and charged with murder, false imprisonment, and robbery.
This week, the trial of Miss Granger, who denies the charges, began at the Old Bailey.
According to the BBC, Hassan was bound with parcel tape and a necktie before being "kicked and stomped" to death. Afterwards, the three suspects used their mobile phones to record themselves throwing "£50 notes around and stuffing wads in underpants," before going on to ransack his home in Islington in search of even more cash.
"While Mr. Hassan's body lay undetected in his flat, his killers were literally throwing his money around," Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC told the court.
Aylett also explained that Hassan, a divorced father of three, "enjoyed the company of women," which made him "vulnerable to the unscrupulous."
"The truth, sadly, is that Miss Granger was not interested in Mehmet Hassan for anything other than his money," Aylett went on to say. "And that is how Mehmet Hassan came to be tied up and kicked to death in his own flat."
According to the events described in the court, on the evening of March 23, Hassan was last seen having dinner at Nobu Restaurant with Granger, then 24, after having won £3,000 playing poker at the Palm Beach Casino Club. Granger is accused of luring Hassan back to his apartment with the intent to rob him with the help of her boyfriend, Jackson, and his friend, Chandler.
About a half hour after arriving at his apartment, a cab was called for Granger. While in the cab, Granger used Hassan's phone to call what prosecutors believe was one of her conspirators. It was there the cabdriver overheard the following: "Swear down. I don't believe it. Don't tell me the money's not there. I saw it. Look in the drawer. Look under the cabinet."
Here's a look at the mobile phone video shown to the court:
The trial is ongoing and is expected to last several weeks. PokerNews will bring you updates as they develop.
For more information, head on over to bbc.com.
*Photo c/o Metropolitan Police Service.
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