Poker Player Brutally Murdered in his Apartment

Professional poker player Hassan Mehmet was tied up, beaten and murdered for his stashed winnings after being lured into a trap by a woman he met at a casino. While Hassan lied dead in a pool of blood, attackers celebrated by throwing £50 notes around his room.

Mehmet, 56, was described by those who knew him as a successful poker player who sometimes won as much as £15,000 at a time. He wasn't in the habit of putting money in the bank and would instead hide his winnings around his flat in Islington, North London.

The divorced father of three met Leonie Granger, 25, at the Palm Beach Casino only a month before he was brutally murdered. He enjoyed her company and didn't notice that Leonie was unscrupulous and willing to do anything for money. On the evening of Sunday 23 March, Leonie and Hassan met for a drink and visited the casino, where they were seen passionately kissing.

The couple left before midnight and went back to Hassan’s flat. Unfortunately, it was the last time Hassan was seen alive.

There was no sign of forced entry so it is believed that Leonie left the door open or let two men into the flat before she got into a cab. According to investigators, the cabdriver overheard a phone conversation in which Leonie was telling someone where to search for the money.

Hassan’s body was found by police on March 24 after his sister became concerned because she could not reach him. When the police informed Leonie Granger about Hassan’s death, she started crying, claiming that two of his friends visited him and snorted cocaine with him so she decided to leave.

However, the officers soon discovered that Granger was less than truthful after examining her phone and finding a disturbing video of three people celebrating the death of Hassan in his own flat. The video showed Granger, her boyfriendKyrron Jackson, and his friend Nicholas Chandler laughing and holding bundles of £50 notes.

Leonie was arrested and she is now facing trial for murder and false imprisonment along with her boyfriend and his friend. Jackson and Nicholas, both 28, are well-known to the police. Both had been previously accused of armed robberies in which victims were tied up and subjected to violence.

Crispin Aylett QC, counsel for the prosecution, said that Leonie was only interested in Hassan for his money and that he was brutally kicked to death because of her enormous greed. The trial, in which all three defendants claim to be free of guilt, continues.

Photo: murdermap.co.uk