Village head convicted in 'stray bullet' death released after 7.5-year sentence upheld

A convict sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison for causing the death of a 47-year-old woman who was walking with her daughter after firing into the air during a wedding procession in Bursa last year during Ramadan Bayram has been released.

The decision regarding Ali Özkan (63), who was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison for "manslaughter by conscious negligence" following a trial at the Bursa 8th High Criminal Court, was appealed to the Regional Court of Justice by his lawyer.

Evaluating the appeal, the 10th Criminal Chamber of the Bursa Regional Court of Justice found the local court's decision to be in accordance with the law.

The chamber decided on Özkan's release, taking into account the time he had served and his health problems.

SHE WAS WOUNDED IN THE SHOULDER BY A STRAY BULLET WHILE WALKING WITH HER DAUGHTER

Zekiye Demir (47) was wounded in the shoulder by a stray bullet while walking with her 8-year-old daughter on Erguvan Street in the Görükle Dumlupınar neighborhood of Nilüfer district on April 22, 2023, the second day of Ramadan Bayram. The woman, who was taken for treatment at Bursa Uludağ University Hospital, lost her life 12 days later.

A special team was formed by the Murder Bureau of the Bursa Police Department's Public Security Branch to apprehend the suspect. The teams, which deepened their investigation in the area starting from the street where Demir was shot, examined the footage from 480 security cameras. The investigations determined that at the time Demir was shot, shots were fired into the air with a handgun during a wedding procession on Menekşe Street, approximately 2 kilometers away.

Ali Özkan, the village head (muhtar) of the Sultançiftliği neighborhood in the Sultangazi district, was arrested in Istanbul after criminal matching was performed between the bullet core that hit Demir's body and his weapon.

Özkan, against whom a lawsuit was filed, was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison for "manslaughter by conscious negligence" at the hearing on November 15, 2023, as a result of the trial held at the Bursa 8th High Criminal Court.

News Source: 12punto