The trial of five defendants in relation to the murder of American tourist Leonard Samuel Record last year has concluded, with the court sentencing one defendant to 12 years and six months in prison.
While defendant Murat Kerim Ocak and his lawyers attended the hearing at the Istanbul High Criminal Court, Ferhat Kavdır, another defendant already in detention, attended via the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS) and expressed that he regretted his actions and had no intention of killing the victim.
The court sentenced Kavdır to 12 years and six months in prison for causing "intentional aggravated injury and its consequences" and ruled that his detention should continue. The court also deferred the announcement of the verdict, giving Kavdır a five-month prison sentence for "having an unlicensed knife."
The court acquitted all the defendants of the crime of "looting" and ordered the pending defendant Emre Ateş to pay a judicial fine of $110 (TL 2,000) for the crime of "simple injury."
The court decided to acquit the defendants identified as M.K.O and B.Y, who are under the age of 18, of the charges of "deliberate killing." Another defendant Tuğrulhan Deniz was handed a fine of $110 for "simple injury." The court postponed the announcement of the verdict.
In the indictment, it was stated that the defendants, who were walking around Mis Street in Taksim while intoxicated on Dec. 26, 2021, approached Leonard Samuel Record with his two friends who were staying at the same hotel. After leaving the entertainment hall, they asked him to hand over his belongings, which he refused.
Reacting to the refusal, the defendants kicked and punched the victim and later stabbed him, which resulted in his death after he was taken to the hospital.
