Murder trial opens in Barrie: Alliston man accused of hiring killers to shoot ex-wife
Ahmet Duzguner, 53, faces first-degree murder charges in the 2022 shooting death of Sibel Duzguner on her Alliston driveway. The trial is underway in Barrie.
Alliston man stands trial for ex-wife's 'execution-style' shooting on driveway
The first-degree murder trial of Ahmet Duzguner, 53, of Alliston, Ontario, opened this week in a Barrie courtroom, cp24.com reports. Duzguner is accused of arranging the killing of his ex-wife, Sibel Duzguner, 38, who was shot five times in her driveway on Aug. 26, 2022, as she prepared to leave for work.
Warning: This article contains details that may be disturbing to some readers.
According to the Crown's opening remarks, Sibel was backing her car out of the driveway on Kidd Crescent when a grey 2011–2012 Volkswagen Jetta pulled up and blocked her vehicle. Provincial police said a person stepped out of the Jetta and fired repeatedly through the driver-side window.
The prosecution told the court that two vehicles — the grey Volkswagen and a red Honda Civic — had been observed near the home in the days before the shooting. Ahmet Duzguner had purchased a red Honda Civic for his daughter approximately one week before Sibel's death, the Crown revealed.
Prosecutors allege Ahmet hired men to surveil and ultimately kill his ex-wife after their marriage ended, and after he learned she planned to remarry in the months before her death.
The trial's first witness, a longtime friend of Sibel's, testified Monday that Sibel had told her Ahmet was following her and knew "everything" said inside the home, including in her bedroom. The witness recalled Ahmet saying he could "just kill Sibel and get rid of her." She also testified that Ahmet had told Sibel she should be ashamed for finding another husband.
The same witness described a final meeting with Sibel in which her friend held her hand as if she sensed something was coming. Four days later, the witness said, she learned Sibel had been shot and killed. According to the testimony, Ahmet and his brother had pressured Sibel to sign over her home, abandon her children, and return to Türkiye. Sibel refused to leave her children behind.
Sibel Duzguner had immigrated to Canada from Türkiye in 2003 and had been living with her three children after leaving the Toronto area. Following her killing, her family in Türkiye issued a public appeal in December 2023 for help solving the case. Ontario Provincial Police subsequently offered a $50,000 reward for information.
Ahmet Duzguner was charged with Sibel's murder in May 2024 — nearly two years after the shooting. He has remained in custody since his arrest and is represented by defence lawyer Deniz Sarikaya.
The Crown told the court it intends to play recorded wiretap conversations between Ahmet Duzguner and his daughter, captured in the days following the killing.
The four-week trial is presided over by Justice Joseph Di Luca and is scheduled to continue Tuesday.
Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)