Homeless man denies helping dispose of dead body

Cumali Turhan was last seen in the early hours of 19 November in The Globe pub in Rainsford Road, Chelmsford

A homeless man is due to stand trial next year after denying helping dispose of a dead body to impede the apprehension of a murder suspect.

Essex Police has been searching through a landfill site as they continue to look for the body of missing man Cumali Turhan, 45, who was last seen in Chelmsford on 19 November.

The force said Ceyhan Dinler, 38, who was wanted in connection with his disappearance, left the UK from Stansted Airport the day Mr Turhan was last in contact with anyone.

Ciprian Ilie, 44, of no fixed address, has appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court and pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender between 18 and 20 November.

Essex Police focused their investigation on the Duke Street area of Chelmsford

Mr Ilie was assisted by a Romanian interpreter as the court clerk read the two charges to him.

As part of one charge, the clerk said it was alleged that Mr Ilie "without lawful authority or reasonable excuse did an act, namely assisted in the disposal of the body of Cumali Turhan with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Ceyhan Dinler who had committed the arrestable offence of murder, knowing or believing him to be guilty of the offence or some other arrestable offence".

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and said, via the interpreter who stood beside him: "I didn't do anything."

He also pleaded not guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body.

The charge, read by the clerk, alleged that between the same dates Ilie "prevented the lawful and decent burial of the body of Cumali Turhan".

Mr Turhan was last seen in the early hours of 19 November in The Globe pub on Rainsford Road in the city.

Police said the missing man may have later been in Barista, a bar and restaurant in Duke Street, but CCTV did not show him leaving Barista.

He was reported missing to police later in the evening of 19 November after he did not arrive at work.

Officers searched a refuse transfer site in the Chelmsford area, before beginning a wider search of a 5,000 square metre area of a landfill site on 27 November.

Judge Christopher Morgan remanded Mr Ilie in custody until 15 September 2025 when he is due to stand trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.