Two men have denied burgling the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a night when Beyoncé was performing to a sold-out crowd. Alirza Dag and Murat Kodalakoglu, both aged 23, allegedly accessed a VIP rooftop terrace at the north London venue. They are also charged with causing £1,700 worth of damage to an electronic keypad used to access the terrace.
Court Proceedings
At Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday, Dag admitted criminal damage to the door access control panel, while his co-defendant pleaded not guilty to the same charge. Defence lawyers Tetevi Davie and Anisa Kebbati, representing Dag and Kodalakoglu respectively, stated that their clients had no intent to steal in relation to the burglary charges. Ms Kebbati added: “Kodalakoglu denies any intent or involvement in criminal damage.”
Trial Date Set
Their trial has been scheduled for February 18, 2030. Due to the lengthy wait, Judge Daniel Fugallo imposed a sole bail condition requiring the defendants to inform their solicitors within seven days if their address or contact number changes. At a previous Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court hearing, the prosecution claimed the two men broke in “with intent to steal.”
Incident Details
The incident occurred on June 16 last year, the final night of six sold-out shows at Spurs’ ground for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter world tour. It is alleged that Dag, from Tottenham, and Kodalakoglu, from Chelmsford, burgled Lilywhite House, which houses administration offices at the £1 billion stadium. They are accused of cutting through wires on the electronic access panel and gaining access to a balcony terrace typically reserved for senior club executives.
