Beytullah Gunduz
A member of a notorious north London gang has been convicted of conspiring to murder a man who was shot outside his family’s restaurant after they refused to pay £100,000. Beytullah Gunduz, 39, was found guilty at the Old Bailey of conspiracy to murder Onur Guzel, who was shot outside the Umut 2000 Turkish restaurant in Dalston, east London, on June 20, 2024, Sky News reported.Prosecutors said the shooting was linked to the long-running feud between the Hackney Turks, also known as the Bombacilar, and the rival Tottenham Turks, a conflict police believe has been responsible for more than 20 murders over the past two decades.The court heard that Gunduz accused Guzel’s family of paying £100,000 to members of the Tottenham gang and demanded an equivalent payment. When the family refused, prosecutors said, he orchestrated the shooting.Guzel, 38, was on a break from work when a gunman fired a single shot from a passing white Kia Niro, striking him in the stomach. CCTV footage shown to jurors captured the attack and Guzel’s screams after he was hit.He survived but suffered serious injuries and now lives with a stoma bag.The gunman was identified as Dogan Over, who allegedly fired from the passenger window of the vehicle before fleeing. The Kia was set on fire shortly after the shooting and Over is believed to have travelled to Istanbul. Jurors heard that Guzel’s family and the restaurant had previously been targeted in incidents linked to the gang feud. His brother’s home was shot at in April 2024 and, two days later, gunmen fired five shots at the restaurant during the early hours of the morning.Guzel told the court that Gunduz and an associate initially approached the family after the earlier attacks and offered assistance before later accusing his father of supporting the rival gang financially. Asked whether the family could have paid the £100,000 demand, Guzel told the court: “We could come up with the funds, but why should we pay someone money, for what reason?”The trial also heard that Gunduz had previously been the target of gang-related attacks. In May 2024, gunmen opened fire outside a Dalston restaurant shortly after he left the premises. Prosecutors said the attack was part of the ongoing feud between the rival groups.Gunduz had also survived a separate shooting in 2020 when he was shot in the neck by a motorcyclist.Following the verdict, Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Iain Wallace said: “This was a calculated and ruthless attack carried out in a busy public area which could have easily resulted in the loss of life,” as cited by SKY news He said Gunduz had played a central role in organising the shooting and showed “a complete disregard for the safety of both the victim and the wider community”.Gunduz was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on July 2.
