Restaurant owner shot after rejecting £100,000 extortion demand in east London

A dinner service in east London turned into a survival story for a small restaurant family after prosecutors said gang members demanded £100,000 and then shot the owner outside his own door when he refused.

Onur Guzel, 38, was shot outside Umut 2000 in Dalston on 20 June 2025, the Old Bailey heard. He survived, but suffered serious injuries and now lives with a stoma bag. Prosecutors said the demand came weeks before the shooting, and described it as an “eye-watering” sum for a family-run restaurant to absorb while still trying to keep seats filled, staff paid and the doors open.

Beytullah Gunduz, 39, is accused of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. Prosecutors said Gunduz was an alleged member of the Hackney Turks, also known as the Bombacilar, in a feud with the rival Tottenham Turks. The court heard that Dogan Over fired from the passenger window of a white Kia Niro before fleeing to Istanbul, and that the car was set on fire minutes after the shooting. Over is said to have left on 25 June and has not returned.

The attack was not the first time violence had reached the business. Prosecutors said there were two earlier shootings tied to the same family, one at Mr Guzel’s brother’s home on 5 April 2025 and another at the restaurant on 7 April 2025. For restaurant workers, repeated attacks like that can change the job overnight. A dining room becomes a place where managers think about cameras, locks, late-night staffing and whether the next shift will be safe enough to serve through.

Umut 2000 had already built a profile beyond east London, after being recommended by top chefs and included in a New York Times list of the top 25 dishes to eat in London. That attention brings customers, but it does not shield a small operation from intimidation. In a trade where margins are tight, turnover is high and every cover counts, extortion threats can force owners into impossible choices: report the threat and risk escalation, or keep trading while staff work under the shadow of another shooting.