A prolific phone thief who jumped from a car to fatally stab an aristocrat’s grandson with a machete has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years at the Old Bailey.
Oguzcan Dereli, 27, was convicted of murdering 20-year-old Abdul-Latif Pouget near Farringdon station on 18 October last year. The attack, which lasted just 13 seconds, severed an artery in Mr Pouget’s thigh, causing massive blood loss that led to his death three days later.
Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC told Dereli on Tuesday: “We shall probably never know why you chose to get out of your car that night and run over and stab Mr Pouget.”
Aristocratic Heritage
Mr Pouget was the grandson of Baron Robert Pouget and descended from one of London’s wealthiest aristocratic families. His great-grandfather was banker George de Vere Drummond, godson of King George VI, whose property empire once included the Savoy Hotel and Adelphi Theatre.
The Pouget family has historic links to Château Pouget, a prestigious winery in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, France. Baron Pouget told local media he had visited his grandson in hospital wearing his “stick, tweed cap and monocle stuck in my eye.”
“It is an extraordinary commentary on the way the country is going that you can have somebody descended from one of the richest men in London, only two or three generations away,” Baron Pouget said. Despite the family’s aristocratic background, the victim had been raised in the Muslim faith and “never benefited from wealth of the wider family.”
Talented Footballer
Known as “Abz” to friends and teammates, Mr Pouget was a promising left winger for Zaza FC in the Barnet Sunday Football League’s premier division. The club, established to help young people avoid knife crime, held educational events for its players about violence prevention.
His mother, Kawsar Pouget, described her son as “kind, respectful, polite and humble” in a victim impact statement. “He was a talented and gifted footballer who was a role model to those younger than him. He was young, intelligent and full of promise,” she said.
Club secretary Duygu Ozen said Abdul-Latif was “the type of player to try and calm situations down” on the pitch. He had been sidelined with a long-term injury and was due to make his comeback on 3 November.
The Fatal Attack
Prosecutor Danny Robinson KC told the court that Mr Pouget had stopped his moped on Back Hill at 9.27pm when Dereli’s Ford Focus estate turned into the road less than a minute later.
“He got out of the car and as he did so he dropped his mobile phone. He did not realise that he had dropped it,” Mr Robinson said. “As he left the car, he had a large machete in his right hand. He ran straight over to Mr Pouget who was still sat on his moped.”
The prosecutor described how Dereli “struck him with the machete and then stabbed him to his right thigh” before returning to his car and driving off, leaving the victim “fighting for his life on the floor.”
Members of the public and paramedics attempted to save Mr Pouget, who was airlifted to Royal London Hospital. Despite intensive care, he died at 11.15am on 21 October.
Extensive Criminal History
The court heard Dereli had an “appalling criminal record” with 39 previous convictions. In 2018, he was jailed for 18 months for a series of phone thefts across north London whilst riding pillion on mopeds.
Court records show Dereli, of Macclesfield Court, Islington, had targeted victims displaying their phones in areas including Kingsland High Street and Pitfield Street. He was arrested after a police helicopter chase that ended with him hiding stolen property in bushes along Regent’s Canal towpath.
At the time of the murder, Dereli was working as a cannabis dealer. His partner had recently given birth, though he claimed he had never seen the child because he was “scared.”
Brother’s Powerful Statement
Mr Pouget’s brother, Badruddin, delivered an emotional victim impact statement directly to Dereli in the dock. “Mr Dereli, when Abz was nine you had your first conviction,” he said. “When Abz was collecting medals you were collecting bank cards and snatching phones from strangers. You were caught hiding under a mattress.”
He described his brother as “a young man who, unlike you, was loved for who he was, not feared for what he might do.” Badruddin added: “I hope that justice might speak for Abz now since you never let him speak again.”
Mystery Motive
The exact motive for the murder remains unclear. Whilst the prosecution initially suggested attempted phone theft, Judge Whitehouse said: “I am not satisfied this was a murder carried out in the circumstances of a robbery.”
The judge noted rumours of a disagreement over a debt, adding: “Some of the rumours were that you and Mr Pouget had an altercation that very evening in which he had got the better of you and your friends had encouraged you to go out and seek revenge.”
Dereli claimed self-defence, telling the court Mr Pouget had wrongly accused him of robbery. He said he exited the car to confront him, carrying the machete for protection. This defence was rejected by the jury.
Family Background
The court heard Dereli came from a Kurdish asylum-seeking family of eleven living in a three-bedroom council flat. His father was unemployed and his mother too ill to work.
On the night after the murder, Dereli checked into the Easy Hotel on Old Street with another woman. He was arrested there on 20 October, though the murder weapon was never recovered.
Football Community Tribute
Following Mr Pouget’s death, hundreds of footballers across north London’s Sunday leagues observed a minute’s silence. His team Zaza FC displayed his photograph pitchside during matches.
“The opponents and the referees were touched too,” said club secretary Ozen. “We were in mixed emotions, we were devastated but proud at the same time.”
Sentencing
Dereli, dressed smartly in a suit and tie, showed no emotion as he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years. He did not look back at the packed public gallery as he was led to the cells.
Judge Whitehouse concluded: “I am satisfied you had formed the intention to cause him really serious bodily harm when you stopped and got out of your car at speed, carrying that machete. Your actions caused incalculable distress to Abdul-Latif Pouget’s family.”
Mrs Pouget said in her statement: “He brought warmth and laughter to every room. His murder shattered the natural order of things and has broken something deep within us. Every member of the family carries this loss. Our family gatherings now take place at the graveside.”
Superintendent Jack Rowlands of Camden Police said: “We understand a close-knit community is in shock but we are determined to bring justice for the victim’s loved ones.”
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