U7 Lounge owners plead not guilty to operating an illegal bar and violating planning rules in Hackney. Case postponed to April.
Haci Ozturk, Joseph Gerrard, and Michael Gerrard denied the charges. All three entered not guilty pleas in court. This happened on February 25th. Hande Sezgin and Ismail Tezgel also denied any wrongdoing. They, just like the others, entered not guilty pleas.
All five men faced charges together. Did they let U7 Lounge operate as a bar and restaurant? This allegedly happened from March 2020 to May 2023. They are also accused of something else. The men allegedly used the back area of U7 for drinking. This included the car park. This allegedly happened July 2022 to May 2023.
A final charge states something more specific. The canalside and car park were allegedly used for drinking. This allegedly occurred in April 2024. Three organizations also appear in court papers. These are Basin Properties Limited, Investment Limited, and Orsman Properties LLP.
A “not guilty” plea was entered for these organizations, too. This all happened at Thames Magistrates’ Court. The court postponed the case until April 29th. Lawyers will present a legal argument then.