A 28-year-old Cypriot woman was killed in London after being struck by a car while crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing with her two dogs.
Laura Sone-Demetrious and her two dogs died in the crash, while two men have appeared in court accused of causing death by dangerous driving.
The incident happened in January 2024 on the busy A10 in Enfield, north London. According to evidence presented in court, the vehicle involved allegedly left the scene.
Laura identified through her dog’s tag
Laura’s body was identified by police in particularly tragic circumstances.
Authorities were able to identify her through the tag worn by one of her dogs, which carried the animal’s name.
Laura was an Arsenal supporter and worked at Tottenham Stadium. Her family described her as a vibrant, loving and outgoing woman who was always smiling.
She had been taking her dogs for their usual afternoon walk when she was struck.
Two men face charges
Sedor Olmez, 20, and Roderick Mirzakhanian, 31, both from Tottenham in north London, appeared before Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
They face charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
Olmez also faces an additional charge of driving without insurance in connection with the incident on 9 January.
The courtroom was packed with members of Laura’s family, who attended the brief initial hearing.
Neither defendant was asked to enter a plea at this stage. Both were only required to confirm their personal details.
Family remembers ‘an angel in disguise’
Following Laura’s death, her family described her as “an angel in disguise”.
Her father, Peter, previously wrote on Facebook about receiving the devastating news that his eldest daughter had been killed.
Her sister Gina told The Independent that Laura “meant everything” to her and described her as a very cheerful, outgoing and affectionate young woman.
She recalled that Laura would dance whether there was music or not, and would even dance with her dogs and talk to them as if they were people.
“She was loved by many. She was a family person. It is just so tragic the way she left this life,” Gina said.
Same junction linked to previous death
The A10 junction where Laura was killed had previously been the scene of another fatal collision.
In 2017, 44-year-old Nilgün Akgün also died while attempting to cross the same junction.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Olmez appeared wearing a white shirt, patterned tie and black jacket, while Mirzakhanian wore a white shirt.
The magistrates’ court chairman told both defendants that the case was too serious to be dealt with by the court.
The two men were released without conditions and were ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on 4 September for a hearing concerning their response to the charges and preparations for the trial.
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