A 23-year-old man from Eindhoven and a 41-year-old man from Rotterdam threw Molotov cocktails under a car and against a house on the Akkerpolei in Nuland. They have already made a confessional statement to the arsons in September last year. The public prosecutor has demanded up to 3.5 years for this action.
“It was never my intention to burn down a house or physically hurt anyone,” says the 23-year-old man from the suspect’s bench in the Den Bosch court. “I can’t wrap my head around the fact that I did this.”
On September 1 last year, he threw a burning bottle of gasoline against the conservatory at the back of a house in Nuland. The bottle extinguished itself and no one was injured. Despite that, it was a “very dangerous” situation because there were four adults, a toddler, and a newborn baby in the house at the time. A 41-year-old man threw a Molotov cocktail under a car parked next to the house. The car caught fire and could not be saved.
Asked to start a fire
There was no discussion as to whether the suspects had thrown the Molotov cocktails. Both have already made a confessional statement during an earlier hearing. That is why it was mainly about why the suspects did this. “We were asked to start a fire,” both suspects say. The 23-year-old man is said to have received the order but does not want to say when and from whom he received the order. “I don’t speak with complete freedom.”
The police think that Antoon R. is the client. He is the ex-partner of the resident of the house. At the time of the arson, he was in custody for kidnapping his ex. The 23-year-old suspect had contact by telephone and visited the prison on August 31, the day before the fire.
Regret
Both suspects expressed remorse several times. They called their action stupid and not well thought out. The prosecutor also “sees two suspects who are truly remorseful and that they acted on impulse.” “But they chose to do this before. At that point, it was necessary to set a car on fire and throw a Molotov cocktail at the house.”
The 41-year-old Rotterdam resident has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, of which 1 year is conditional. The public prosecutor: “I demand a hefty detention sentence, but also a big stick behind the door to prevent him from deciding to do something like that again.”
The 23-year-old suspect is also sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, but this does not include a conditional portion. “He still had six months of detention hanging over his head for a previous conviction. He made the mistake again during his probationary period, so I don’t see anything in a conditional part.”
The victims have since moved, but are still afraid. They have expressly requested a contact ban and the justice department complied. “Because this film shows that anything could happen from detention.”
The court will give its ruling in two weeks.
Source: Studio040
Translate: Ayşenur Kuran
