Man sentenced to prison for helping to kidnap and murder DJ

A man has received a prison sentence for aiding a drug dealer in the abduction, torture, and killing of a well-known London radio DJ. Mehmet Koray Alpergin, 43, and his partner Gozde Dalbudak were taken in central London on 13 October 2022. Alpergin endured severe torture before his body was discovered in woodland in Essex.

Zubair Iqbal, 33, from Ilford, east London, was acquitted of conspiracy to kidnap but found guilty of assisting an offender during a separate trial earlier this year. On Friday, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

During sentencing, Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC remarked, "This was a highly coordinated plan to kidnap and inflict harm on Mr Alpergin. You are not naive and possess intelligence." Iqbal was connected to Tejean Kennedy, previously convicted for the couples kidnapping, false imprisonment, and Alpergin's manslaughter.

Details of the Crime

The court heard that Alpergin and Dalbudak were on their way home to Enfield from a Mayfair restaurant when they were abducted and taken to the Stadium Lounge wine bar near White Hart Lane. Dalbudak, 36, was confined in a toilet for two days before being released and given money for a taxi.

Alpergin suffered 94 distinct injuries. Iqbal assisted Kennedy for roughly seven hours on the night of the murder, offering a safe house for Kennedy to store clothing and a mobile phone and helping launder money. Judge Whitehouse stated that even if Iqbal was unaware of the full extent of the violence planned, he must have realized a serious criminal operation was occurring.

Criminal Connections

Iqbal and his brother previously operated a chicken shop, which Kennedy used to package drugs. Kennedy also used Iqbal's bank account to launder funds and likely pay other criminal associates. On the night of the kidnapping, there was extensive telephone communication between Iqbal and Kennedy. Kennedy even used Iqbals home beforehand to change clothes and leave his phone charging, creating the impression he was at Iqbals residence during the crime.

Judge Whitehouse noted the impact on Alpergins family, who "have suffered terribly knowing what Mr Alpergin's last hours were like." Alpergin, originally from northern Cyprus, was prominent in the British Turkish community and owned Bizim FM, a Turkish-language radio station in London.

Other Sentences

Last year, three menDylan Weatherley, Kyrie Mitchell-Peart, and Isay Stoyanovwere sentenced for their involvement in Alpergins abduction and death. Weatherley, 20, from Tottenham, received five years for manslaughter, kidnapping, and false imprisonment. Mitchell-Peart, 33, from Barnet, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and false imprisonment and was sentenced to six years and four months. Stoyanov, 44, from Seven Sisters, was jailed for 18 months for perverting the course of justice. Additional convictions for four more men followed in 2023.

Author: Lucas Grant