According to the Public Prosecution Service, a 38-year-old man from Hoogeveen worked towards the death of his ex-girlfriend at the end of last year. The Public Prosecution Service does not see this as an impulse, but a deliberate preparation for murder. “He still had one goal: that woman must die,” the prosecutor said.
According to the justice department, the relationship between the suspect and his ex-girlfriend slowly turned from affection to resentment on the part of the man. His kindness to her was abused, the man told the judge. Although both had new relationships, contact remained. The judge spoke of a “complex relationship” that escalated into serious threats in early November.
The low point followed on November 18. The man was pinned down on his bicycle by the police that evening, shortly after he was said to have been shouting at his ex-girlfriend’s home with a knife in his hand.
According to the file, he threatened to slit the throats of the woman and her youngest daughter. Her current partner would also be at risk. The suspect only left after pushing a knife through the letterbox.
Police found messages and audio recordings with death threats in his phone. He had also ordered several knives via the internet. Handcuffs and a jerry can were also purchased. The officer requested an acquittal for the last two goods: according to her, there is no evidence that they were specifically intended for a crime.
The suspect’s criminal record is a major factor. It lists previous violent crimes in which knives were used. This included a fatal stabbing and a case in which an ex-girlfriend was stabbed.
The man refused to cooperate in psychological and psychiatric research. As a result, experts were unable to assess his mental state or the risk of recurrence.
The Public Prosecution Service demanded a five-year prison sentence for preparing murder and threatening. In addition, the judiciary wants a ban on contact with the ex-girlfriend and mandatory treatment after detention, if this later proves necessary.
The defense painted a completely different picture. According to the lawyer, the police investigation is incomplete and there are “many loose ends” in the file. She pointed out that there remained mutual contact between those involved.
“He hears different stories every time,” the defense attorney said in court. According to her, although the suspect “went way too far” in his threats, there was never a concrete plan to actually kill someone.
The court will make its ruling on May 22
