Evren's sister: 'I will forever have a broken heart'

4:21pm Tuesday 4th March 2008

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The sister of Evren Anil has described how the loss of her beloved brother tore her family apart.

Elif Anil said her parents Altun and Niyazi split up and her brothers have needed psychiatric treatment as they struggle to come to terms with Evren's death.

Elif's statement was read out at the Old Bailey this afternoon after two teens admitted killing 23-year-old Evren in a row over a half-eaten chocolate bar.

Elif said: "I love my brother Evren and always miss him. I will forever have a broken heart and remember August 5 until the day I die.

"My mum still to this day goes into his bedroom expecting to find him there and still expects him to walk through the door. These are wishes. But they are wishes we have to wish because of two heartless people."

Elif described Evren as "the best person you could ever hope to meet" and said her younger brother was a generous, caring individual.

"She added: He was a fantastic son, uncle and friend. I was blessed to have a brother like him."

Evren had graduated from Kingston University with a first-class computer sciences degree and had landed his dream job with IT firm Logica a week before he was attacked in Central Hill, Upper Norwood.

The former Harris and Coulsdon College student spent his free time helping teach others.

He had been travelling in Elif's car on August 5 last year when they pulled up at traffic lights in Central Hill, Upper Norwood.

As they stopped at the lights two teens came up to the car and one threw a half-eaten Lion bar through the open window at Evren.

Eyewitness Derek Porter said in a statement to the court that he saw Evren step out of the car and throw the chocolate bar back at the youths, before remonstrating with them.

Mr Porter said it was then the 17-year-old pulled down the waistband of his trousers to reveal a knife, saying, "do you want some, do you want some".

He intervened, standing in between Evren and the teens, and told Evren to get back in the car.

He said the situation looked serious so he went to the nearby police station and called for help on the phone as the station was shut.

While he was there Evren was punched and fell to the ground.

Eyewitness Mrs Hunt said: He fell straight to the floor. His body limp like a doll, hitting his head against the kerb. His head seemed to bounce on the impact."

The two teens ran off. Passersby ran to help Evren who was unconscious.

He came round and insisted on standing up, before being helped inside Elif's car.

When police and the ambulance arrived he was vomiting and was taken to King's College Hospital with suspected head injuries.

He lost consciousness in the ambulance and slipped into a coma. He died from his injuries eight days later.

Elif told the court that today she cannot bear to go past the spot where Evren was attacked, finding alternative ways to go to and from the family's Upper Norwood home.

She also said she no longer trusts people and fears for her safety, where as she didn't before.

The two teens pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article at the Old Bailey.

The 16-year-old from Thornton Heath and 17-year-old from Tottenham will be sentenced on April 4.