East London gang jailed for horrific homophobic acid attack
Nine members of an east London gang have been sentenced to prison for a homophobic attack carried out last year.
Huseyin Onel, 24, and eight other men targeted their first victim in Dalston on 5 May, a bank holiday.
CCTV footage of the attack has been released.
The incident unfolded after a verbal altercation between an unidentified male and Onur Ardic, 27, who was part of the group of nine men.
The unidentified male went to speak to Ardic and was quickly surrounded by the group, who launched an attack, punching and kicking the victim.
A group of people attempted to intervene to stop the attack with one of them – a man in his 20s – filming the assault.
The group then attacked the man, kicking him to the ground and attempting to steal his phone. A number of this victim’s group went to their friend’s aid and a large brawl erupted.
During this, Onel used a bottle to spray a noxious substance in the faces of a number of people.
Other members of the group – Mehmet Tekagac and Onur Ardic – were also involved in the corrosive substance attack on one of the group.
The second victim who tried to film assault suffered a fractured eye socket and another person suffered burns to their tongue.
The gang then got into three cars and drove away from the scene, shouting homophobic slurs.
All nine were sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday.
Gang sentenced
Onel was was sentenced to 17 years in prison for applying a noxious substance causing grievous bodily harm (GBH), plus an additional three years on extended licence. Onel was sentenced to nine years each for six counts of casting a noxious substance and three years for violent disorder to run concurrently.
Mehmet Tekagac, 30, was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in prison for applying a noxious substance causing GBH, plus an additional three years on extended licence. To run concurrently, Tekagac was sentenced to eight years for robbery and three years for violent disorder.
Onur Ardic, 27, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for applying a noxious substance causing GBH plus three years on extended licence. He was also sentenced to three years for violent disorder to run concurrently. Guven Ulas, 20, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for violent disorder.
Mustafa Kiziltan, 30, was sentenced to a total of three years in prison – 27 months for violent disorder and nine months for dangerous driving. He was also sentenced to three months for failing to stop, this will run concurrently.
Serkan Kiziltan, 22, was sentenced to 18 months for violent disorder, and Umit Kaygisiz, 21, was sentenced to a total of 28 months in prison for violent disorder.
Yasam Erdogan, 24, and Turgut Adakan, 23, were both sentenced to 18 months for violent disorder, suspended for two years.
“Shocking” attack
Detective Constable David Leitner, who led the investigation, said: “Seven violent and dangerous men have been removed from London’s streets today and will now spend a lengthy time locked up in prison.
“The level of violence used in this attack, coupled with the speed that this incident escalated, are truly shocking.
“A group of people who were enjoying themselves at the end of a night out were subjected to a sustained and relentless wave of violence including the use of a corrosive substance – because they acted as good Samaritans to help a male being subjected to a vicious assault.
“The original victim who was attacked by the group has never been traced but I hope he, and all those who were set upon by this violent group of individuals, will take some comfort from the fact that this group has been convicted.”
