Dominic Whitton

Dominic Whitton, 41, has been at the center of significant criminal proceedings in the UK, culminating in his conviction for the murder of his mother, Pepita Sarikecili (also known as Pepita Garcia), and for preventing her lawful burial.

The case began when Pepita Sarikecili, 74, was found dead in her home on Reynardson Road, Tottenham, on January 13, 2025, after a concern for welfare call was made to her GP surgery. Authorities believe she died in December 2024, sometime before Christmas. A post-mortem examination revealed her cause of death as blunt force trauma.

Whitton was initially charged on January 22, 2025, with preventing a lawful burial and was remanded in custody. He subsequently appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on October 6, 2025, where he faced additional charges of murder and manslaughter. Whitton entered a not guilty plea to all charges at that time.

Following a five-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court, Dominic Whitton was convicted on May 21, 2026, of both the murder of his mother and preventing her lawful burial. The prosecution presented a case involving complex medical and forensic evidence, including expert testimony identifying 67 fractures of differing ages on the victim, suggesting repeated non-accidental trauma over approximately ten weeks before her death. The murder was committed against a backdrop of coercive and controlling behavior by Whitton towards his mother.

Dominic Whitton is scheduled to be sentenced today, July 10, 2026.