A 61-year-old man from Curaçao has been sentenced by the Oost-Brabant court to four years in prison, six months of which suspended. The man shot a firearm at close range at his then girlfriend.
The incident happened in October 2022. The man shot at the woman in her home in Valkenswaard. The bullet grazed the woman’s chest. The woman then ran to the neighbours where the police were called.
The court convicted the man of attempted manslaughter by shooting at the victim at close range. The bullet did not hit her because the woman made an unexpected movement. The fact that the woman was not seriously injured or dead is pure luck, the judge ruled.
‘Not responsible’
The suspect stated that he had nothing to do with the shooting and that the woman had inflicted the injuryon herself. The court finds that unbelievable. The revolver which the suspect had fired was found under the bed in one of the man’s shoes the next day.
His DNA material was also on the firearm. His WhatsApp messages the suspect seemingly wanted to make the woman think about her actions by shooting at her.
Responsibility
The court also blames the man for not accepting responsibility for his behaviour and for placing the blame for the violence on the victim. Besides four years in prison, six months of which conditionally, the man may not come near the woman or contact the woman by any means for five years.
He must also report to an addiction clinic and stay in an assisted living facility.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Yawar Abbas
