Islington Man Jailed for Murder of Elderly Friend
Serkan Kaygusuz, 42, from Sparsholt Road, Islington, was found guilty of murdering Norma Girolami, 70, after a swift Old Bailey trial. The jury took just 29 minutes to convict him on Tuesday, 21 February.
Sinister Deception and Murder
Norma was last seen in mid-August 2021. A friend reported her missing on 13 September, after texts from her phone falsely claimed she was on holiday. The messages, full of grammar errors and odd pet names, were actually sent by Kaygusuz, whose first language is Turkish.
Norma and Kaygusuz met at Archway Leisure Centre and had developed a friendship. But things turned dark when Kaygusuz, unemployed, started demanding money. Norma told a friend she had given him over £200,000 plus a car—but he kept asking for more. Despite running out of funds, she refused to give him any further.
On 19 August, Norma went on a day trip to Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. That evening, Kaygusuz made an unusual visit to her home—and murdered her.
Body Buried in Shocking Cover-Up
Kaygusuz wrapped Norma’s body first in a bedsheet, then in black plastic rubbish bags from ‘Homes for Islington’, sealing them with black duct tape. He then carried her to St James Churchyard, Friern Barnet, and buried her in a shallow grave.
Police arrested Kaygusuz initially for fraud and false imprisonment on 1 October 2021, but quickly upgraded the charge to murder. He was charged on 4 October and remained in custody throughout the investigation.
Horrifying ‘Body Disposal Kit’ and Relentless Police Hunt
Detectives uncovered Kaygusuz’s chilling online purchases: spading forks, ground stabilisers, a shovel, long rubber gloves, forensic overalls, duct tape, handcuffs, a ball gag, wrist restraints, paracord, and other restraint gear. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn called it a “body disposal kit”.
“Despite not initially having a body, we were certain Kaygusuz had murdered Norma and buried her in a churchyard or communal area,” said DCI Blackburn. “We searched for 15 months, piecing together forensics, CCTV, and phone data. Images recovered from Kaygusuz’s phone finally pointed us to St James Churchyard—the final piece of the puzzle.”
Norma’s remains were found on 1 November 2022. After Norma was reported missing, police called her phone. Kaygusuz returned to the grave, dug up the topsoil, and reinforced the site with wood and stabilisers, attempting to hide the burial.
Greed, Fraud and Heartbreak
Kaygusuz admitted to six counts of theft, fraud, and perverting the course of justice. After Norma’s death, he applied for loans totalling £60,000 in her name. Police found her jewellery, phone, bank cards, passport, and house keys at his and another woman’s addresses.
“Kaygusuz’s treatment of Norma was cold, calculated and abusive,” said DCI Blackburn. “He is a dangerous man driven by greed. I urge any women he has targeted to come forward for support.”
“Despite the ordeal for Norma’s loved ones, I am proud my team persisted until justice was served and Norma was returned to her family.”
