TURKISH grandfather Şerafettin Demirsay died from a stab wound to the heart, a pathologist said at a murder trial this week.
The Turkish grandfather, 65, who went by the name ‘Sharif’, was stabbed to death just seconds after opening his front door in May 2013. The incident happened in the Bedfordshire town of Kempston, 86km northwest of London, as his partner of twenty years helplessly looked on.
Bedfordshire News quoted Doctor Olaf Biedrzycki as telling the trial that Mr Demirsay would have lost consciousness within “tens of seconds” and that the injury would have proved “rapidly fatal”.
Prosecutors say four teenagers – Travis Dixon-Charles, 18, Courtney Glynn, 19, a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old who can’t be identified for legal reasons – went to Mr Demirsay’s home to steal money and gold belonging to his 69-year-old partner, Parshini Salhotra.
Three of the gang then allegedly pushed their way into the house and began attacking him, while a fourth – the 16-year-old – remained outside as “lookout”.
All four teenagers plead not guilty to Mr Demirsay’s murder.
Mr Dixon-Charles, Mr Glynn and the 17-year-old have also been charged with aggravated burglary, while Mr Glynn faces a charge of intimidation and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. All four are also charged with unlawfully wounding Mr Demirsay’s partner.
The four teenagers deny all the charges.
The trial continues.