Two Found Guilty in 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. On Wednesday, April 15, two people — Nicholas Chandler, 29, and Kyrron Jackson, 28 — were found guilty of murder, while Jackson's girlfriend, Leonie Granger, 25, was found guilty of manslaughter.
The verdict came after more than a month of trial at the Old Bailey. According to the BBC, Jackson and Chandler, who had been involved in two armed robberies earlier in 2014, were also convicted of "robbing Mr. Hassan, two counts of plotting to rob employees of Grosvenor Casinos, two counts of conspiracy to have a shotgun and imitation firearm in January last year, and two counts of conspiracy to falsely imprison."
The "Deadly Honey Trap" trial came after Granger, who admitted she was involved in a plan to rob the poker player, lured Hassan, a divorced father of three, back to his apartment from a casino. 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.
About a half hour after arriving at Hassan's apartment, a cab was called for Granger. While in the cab, Granger used Hassan's phone to call what prosecutors argued 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."
From there, Jackson and Chandler apparently arrived, bound Hassan with parcel tape and a necktie, and "kicked and stomped" him to death. Afterwards, the three suspects used their mobile phones to record themselves at a secondary location throwing "£50 notes around and stuffing wads in underpants," before going on to ransack his home in Islington in search of even more cash.
"The truth, sadly, is that Miss Granger was not interested in Mehmet Hassan for anything other than his money," said Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC. "And that is how Mehmet Hassan came to be tied up and kicked to death in his own flat."
The three convited will be sentenced for their crimes on April 28.
"We have endured immense pain and despair from the moment that we discovered Mehmet had been brutally murdered. This will continue to haunt us," said Hassan's nephew, Hassan Gunay. "Although nothing will ever replace Mehmet this just verdict provides an element of closure and relief."
Andrew "Giddy" Perendes, a long-time friend of Hassan, echoed those sentiments.
"First and foremost, I'm delighted with the verdict and elated for the family during the ordeal of the trail for what they suffered and the verdict is justice for all concerned with Mehmet, my dearest companion," Perendes told PokerNews.
For more information, head on over to BBC.com.
*Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Police Service.
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