Julie Sahin

Julie Sahin, born Julie Anderson, and her daughter Michaela Gol were murdered in a brutal knife attack in the early hours of 4 September 2011 at their family home in Ireton Court, Thame, Oxfordshire.

Michaela, a 28-year-old mother of two young children (aged about 3 and 1 at the time), had met Turkish national Ensar Gol while on holiday in Bodrum, Turkey; they began a long-distance relationship, married in March 2011, and he moved to the UK to live with her.

On the night of the killings, Gol returned home after learning of his grandfather’s death. He grabbed a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Michaela (more than 50 times in total across the victims) while she slept in the marital bedroom in front of their young daughter.

When Julie and family friend Casey Wilson rushed upstairs to help, he turned the knife on them too, killing Julie and seriously wounding Casey. 

Gol had reportedly boasted on Facebook and to others shortly before that “all the English papers will talk about me tomorrow.” He was arrested soon after, having left the house carrying one of the children.

At his 2012 trial at Oxford Crown Court, Gol denied the charges and claimed Julie had attacked him first, but the jury unanimously convicted him of the double murder and the attempted murder of Casey Wilson. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 36 years (two concurrent life sentences for the murders plus 12 years for the attempted murder). 

Family statements described Julie as a devoted mother, grandmother, and wife in a loving marriage, and Michaela as a loving young mum whose holiday romance turned deadly.

Rest in peace Julie. You will not be forgotten.