Hackney gang boss jailed for life over Dalston restaurant shooting

Beytullah Gunduz, a senior figure in the Hackney Turks organised crime group, has been jailed for life for orchestrating a shooting that left Onur Guzel with permanent injuries. Mr Guzel was shot outside his family restaurant, Umut 2000, in Dalston, east London, on 20 June last year.

The attack occurred after Mr Guzel's family faced threats and demands for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Gunduz, 40, was found guilty of conspiring to murder Mr Guzel, 38. He refused to attend his sentencing at the Old Bailey on Friday and was jailed in his absence.

Victim's life-altering injuries

Judge Mark Lucraft KC stated that the injuries Mr Guzel suffered were "permanent" and "irreversible". In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Guzel described how the attack had fundamentally altered his life and taken his sense of safety. He is attempting to rebuild his life but no longer feels like the person he was before the incident.

Mr Guzel recounted hearing a loud bang and feeling numb before realising he had been shot in the lower abdomen. He received first aid from bystanders and police officers before being taken to the Royal London Hospital. While in intensive care, he informed police about previous shooting incidents targeting his family, which were attributed to a rivalry with the Tottenham Turks.

Extortion attempts and gang rivalry

The court heard that the shooting of Mr Guzel followed a dispute between the Hackney Turks and Tottenham Turks. Gunduz's group had accused Mr Guzel's family of paying the rival group £100,000 and demanded the same sum. Subsequent text messages to Mr Guzel's brother demanded £100,000 or threatened violence, and a later message threatened Mr Guzel's sister-in-law after police were notified.

Mr Guzel's family confirmed they never paid any money to the gangs. Gunduz, who knew Mr Guzel as he frequented the restaurant, denied involvement in the shooting. He has previous convictions dating back to 2008 for offences including possessing an offensive weapon, drugs, and assault.

Gunduz was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years. In May 2024, a separate incident involving a shooting near the Elvin Restaurant in Hackney, where Gunduz had been present shortly before, left a nine-year-old girl seriously injured. Javon Riley was jailed for life with a minimum of 34 years for his role in that attack.

What happens next

Beytullah Gunduz will serve a minimum of 20 years before being eligible for parole. The case is linked to ongoing gang rivalries within London.