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Stoke Newington murder victim named

Stoke Newington murder victim named

Independent6 hours ago
The victim of a fatal shooting in north London has been named by police.
A murder investigation was launched after Erdal Ozmen, 45, was killed in Stoke Newington, the Metropolitan Police said.
He was found with gunshot injuries by officers who were called to an address in Dynevor Road on Tuesday at 12.18am.
The father-of-one was 'deeply loved by his family' detectives said on Wednesday as they appealed for witnesses to help find his killer.
Residents said they woke to the sounds of gunshots.
Mr Ozmen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives say the motive for the murder remains unclear. No arrests have been made.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who is leading the investigation, said: 'We continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward following the fatal shooting of Erdal.
'He was a father-of-one and was deeply loved by his family.
'Today, we are asking the public for assistance. Were you in the Dynevor Road area late on Monday night into early Tuesday morning? Did you see anyone acting out of the ordinary?
'Did you hear anything at all which perhaps seemed unusual – maybe people shouting, or a loud vehicle?
'The smallest piece of information could play a significant role in our investigation.'
A post-mortem examination has not yet been carried out.
Mr Ozmen's family are being supported by specialist officers.
Liza Dodds, 58, a youth worker who lives opposite Dynevor Road, said: 'My husband woke up and said there was gunshots. The instant reaction was 'how do you know?'
'We both got up and had a look. A police officer was doing CPR where the person fell. It seemed like they were going forever.'
Another resident said: 'I heard a few gunshots and the first thing I thought was that it was fireworks, because you don't expect it to be a gun.
'I was trying to sleep but then later I heard sirens from the police cars.'
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'We were out when it happened so we didn't hear or see anything.
'But when we came back at around 1am, the whole area was cordoned off and the police officers told us that it will be a crime scene for a couple of days.'
Forensic officers in scrubs and masks were at the scene on Tuesday afternoon, alongside several police officers.
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From planned funerals to spending 'fake' winnings: How dozens of Gala Bingo players thought they'd scooped their share of £1.6million... only to be told it was a GLITCH
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  • Daily Mail​

From planned funerals to spending 'fake' winnings: How dozens of Gala Bingo players thought they'd scooped their share of £1.6million... only to be told it was a GLITCH

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Soldier shoots five at US military base
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Soldier shoots five at US military base

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Teacher sacked and branded 'Islamophobic' after he was reported over a Facebook post criticising Lucy Connolly's prison sentence says he has lost everything after the 'witch hunt'
Teacher sacked and branded 'Islamophobic' after he was reported over a Facebook post criticising Lucy Connolly's prison sentence says he has lost everything after the 'witch hunt'

Daily Mail​

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Teacher sacked and branded 'Islamophobic' after he was reported over a Facebook post criticising Lucy Connolly's prison sentence says he has lost everything after the 'witch hunt'

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In his online comment, Mr Pearson described Connolly's words as 'obviously wrong', but said he believed her prison sentence was a 'two-tier policy from the top down'. An internal investigation was launched following a complaint submitted by a Muslim representative of the National Education Union (NEU) at the school who alleged that the post was 'Islamophobic' and 'racially discriminatory'. Mr Pearson has said he apologised and also claimed to have provided evidence of his support for both Muslim students and asylum seekers. Pictured: Mr Pearson's Facebook post criticising her jail term that eventually resulted in his dismissal. Preston College's investigation deemed the post a violation of its policies He has now been speaking about the impact of the furore on him while defending his previously 'spotless' record as a teacher. He told the Daily Mail: 'I was blindsided. Someone reported my private posts without a word to me. 'It felt like being snitched on in the dark - no conversation, no context, just condemnation. 'Twenty years of dedicated service, a spotless record, and deep care for every student - including many Muslim pupils I've supported and mentored - was wiped away. 'The accusation of "Islamophobia" became a label that no amount of truth could peel off. 'It was like living through a witch hunt. Once the accusation was made, the process felt less like an investigation and more like a verdict already written.' The college's investigation deemed the posts a violation of its policies, damaging of professional relationships and likely to bring the college's reputation into disrepute. Mr Pearson previously said he had been left 'appalled' by the decision, particularly given his long-standing commitment to helping support and educate students 'from all walks of life'. He has now added: 'I spoke out about real concerns, about the Manchester Airport attack, Southport, and the Lucy Connolly case. 'These are matters of public safety and justice. If we silence the freedom to express concern and ask questions, we're in serious trouble as a society. 'I've lost my livelihood, my reputation, and my peace of mind - not because I did something wrong, but because I dared to speak. 'If a teacher with a 20-year unblemished record can be sacked for expressing valid concerns shared by millions in their own time, then none of us are safe and something has to change so that no one else has to go through what I have.' Mr Pearso has now launched legal action at an employment tribunal, claiming wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Lord Young of Acton, founder of the Free Speech Union, told the Daily Mail he was 'shocked' by the decision to sack Mr Pearson. He accused the National Education Union of 'siding with the bosses rather than the workers when it comes to breaches of workplace speech codes'. The NEU said in a statement: 'The management of Preston College reached a decision to dismiss the teacher following disciplinary procedures. 'The NEU was not directly involved in these processes and it will be for the Employment Tribunal to consider the fairness of the dismissal if and when the claim reaches a hearing.' Preston College said: 'Upon receipt of complaints from a number of our staff, an internal investigation was undertaken into whether some of Mr Pearson's social media posts were a breach of the College's Staff Behaviour Code and Values. 'Following an investigation and subsequent disciplinary process, Mr Pearson was dismissed from his employment at the College.' It comes after former childminder Connolly, of Northampton, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court in October and imprisoned at HMP Drake Hall, Staffordshire, after admitting to making her 'racist' post on X, formerly known as Twitter. With about 9,000 followers on X at the time, her message was reposted 940 times and viewed 310,000 times before she deleted it around three and a half hours later. The mother-of-one was arrested on August 6 last year, by which point she had deleted her social media account. But other messages which included other condemning remarks were uncovered by officers who seized her phone. Her X post was made just hours after killer Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls and attempted to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year, sparking nationwide unrest. A number of public figures and politicians have spoken out since Connolly was handed her sentence, claiming that she is a victim of 'two-tier justice'. Connolly lost an appeal in May this year to shorten her 31-month sentence despite telling the Court of Appeal in London she 'never' intended to incite violence and did not realise that pleading guilty would mean accepting she had. Connolly's husband, Raymond, a former West Northamptonshire Conservative councillor, said on the day she lost her appeal: 'Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she will release 40,000 prisoners, some of them dangerous men on tag. 'Lucy has not been allowed out on tag and she has been denied leave to see our child who is struggling. 'The court had the opportunity to reduce her cruelly long and disproportionate sentence, but they refused. That feels like two-tier justice.' The Daily Mail revealed this week how Connolly is set for release soon, with a friend sharing a post to X saying she believed the convict would be 'with a glass of Whispering Angel in-hand' this time next month. It is understood Connolly will be freed on August 21.

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