CCTV Released After Kempston Murder

17 May 2013, 11:12 | Updated: 17 May 2013, 11:21

Detectives from the Major Crime Unit are still appealing for witnesses in connection with the murder of a Kempston man at his home in Vineyard Way on the evening of Tuesday May 14th.

Detectives from the Major Crime Unit are still appealing for witnesses in connection with the murder of a Kempston man at his home in Vineyard Way on the evening of Tuesday May 14th.

Turkish-born Serafettin Demirsay – known as Sharif – was stabbed when three men forced their way into his home when he answered a knock at the door at about 9.30pm on Tuesday.  A post mortem carried out yesterday showed he died of a stab wound to the chest. He leaves behind children and grandchildren.  

A 68 year old woman, who lived with Sharif, was also injured with relatively superficial knife wounds which were treated in hospital. She is now being looked after by her family and supported by police officers from the MCU.  Some money and jewellery were stolen from the house. 

A man who was arrested on Wednesday morning from a house in Cotton End just outside Bedford has now been released on conditional police bail, pending further enquiries.  

Det Chief Insp Tim Redfearn, of the Beds, Cambs and Herts MCU, stressed that the enquiry is far from finished and appealed to anyone who may have been in the area at the time to make contact  with the enquiry team.

“This was a terribly distressing attack on a defenceless man in his own home, in front of his distraught partner,” he said. “We are trying to piece together exactly what happened prior to the stabbing and it is still not at all clear what the motive for this attack was. What we do know is that three men were seen on CCTV approaching the house at about 9.30pm, dressed in dark clothes and with hoods covering their faces. Someone knocked on the door, prompting Sharif to open it. Once the men were inside, they launched a violent attack on him and his partner, before running off and turning right, away from the house. While we have arrested a man, this enquiry is not solved and we do want to hear from anyone else who can help with information about this incident.”

 “You may have been walking past just before or after the incident, or saw something or someone that was unusual in the cul-de-sac, as you drove or walked up Hartwell Drive. You may have already dismissed this information as insignificant or thought that the arrest of a person made it less  important to us. Please don’t assume that someone else has told us, or that we already know. Please come forward if you were in the area so that we have the fullest picture possible to help us complete this enquiry,” he said.

The MCU team can be reached direct at their base on 01480 422791, or contacted via the police non-emergency 24 hour number 101, or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111. You do not have to give your name, no-one will know you called and you can still receive a cash reward.