Court hears murder was part of ongoing feud between rival Turkish gangs in North London
Samuel Zerei (right) received a 28 year prison sentence for Zafer Eren’s murder while Jamie Marsh-Smith, 23, was jailed for 38 years for the murder of Zafer Eren and attempted murders of İnan Eren and Samuel Zerei
Two men who shot dead a Turkish-speaking man outside his Enfield home in a gang attack have been jailed for life.
Zafer Eren, 34, who was originally from Elbistan near Kahramanmaraş, southern Turkey, was shot four times in the chest in front of his Southgate apartment last year.
A jury last week convicted 23-year-old Jamie Marsh-Smith and Samuel Zerei, 21, of his murder.
Marsh-Smith was also found guilty of the attempted murders of Zerei, his partner in crime, and of Zafer Eren’s cousin in separate incidents.
Marsh-Smith will serve at least 38 years in prison while Zerei was sentenced to a minimum 28 year term.
The court heard that the murder of Zafer Eren and attempted murder of his cousin İnan where part of a long running feud between members of two Turkish-speaking gangs, the Tottenham Boys and Bombacılar, the latter of which is based in Hackney.
Zafer Eren was shot dead in April 2013
GANG HITMEN
Marsh-Smith was not a member of either gang but employed by the Bombacılar to carry out ‘hits’ on members of the Eren family, who lead the Tottenham Boys.
Zafer Eren was hit four times by Marsh-Smith wearing a “V for Vendetta”-style Guy Fawkes facemask. His getaway car was driven by Samuel Zerei.
The court heard Marsh-Smith later feared Zerei had become a liability and shot him twice at a pre-arranged meeting place. Zerei escaped and was subsequently arrested by police.
SON JUST 26 DAYS OLD
In a statement released through the police, Zafer Eren’s widow said: “This has had a devastating impact on our life; our baby was only 26-days-old when Zafer was killed on my doorstep.
“Marsh-Smith and Zerei have shown no remorse for their actions.”
Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, the senior officer investigating the shooting, said: “The conduct of Jamie Marsh-Smith and Samuel Zerei reads like something from a film. They accepted a contract to kill; they had no known dispute with their victim.
“Marsh-Smith and Zerei were professional and dangerous criminals. Marsh-Smith even tried to execute his getaway driver Samuel Zerei when he failed to dispose of the getaway car used in the murder of Zafer Eren.
“Our investigation continues into Zafer Eren’s murder as we seek to find those responsible for ordering the killing. The convictions today demonstrate that the police will not go away. For the people who hold information about Zafer Eren’s murder, make that call today to our incident room.
“Police are offering a reward of up to £30,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Zafer Eren’s murder.”
Anyone who can assist police should call the incident room on 020 8785 8099 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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killers (1) Samuel Zerei, 21, received a 28 year prison sentence for Zafer Eren’s murder
killers (2).jpg Jamie Marsh-Smith, 23, was jailed for 38 years for the murder of Zafer Eren and attempted murders of İnan Eren and Samuel Zerei
zafereren.jpg Zafer Eren was shot dead in April 2013
