A 25-year-old man from Hoogeveen has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service for kidnapping and threatening his ex-partner in August 2022. He also drove his car at a dangerous speed during the kidnapping. Warning shots were necessary to force him to stop. The court in Den Bosch determined this.
The man had picked up the woman on August 17, 2022 in Essen, Belgium, south of Roosendaal. He then drove very fast on the A58 and A50 highways until he was forced to stop near Son.
Suddenly the relationship ends
The man had gone to her to discuss their relationship, which had suddenly ended. After threatening suicide, he forced the woman into his car, brandishing a knife. She still managed to call the police. He gave chase, with a number of cars and a police helicopter. During the 50-minute crazy ride, speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour were reached. The man also flouted many traffic rules, causing life-threatening situations for other road users.
The police were only able to stop the chase by blocking the driver, causing him to collide with two police vehicles. Only after two officers fired warning shots could he be removed from his car and arrested.
‘No remorse’
According to the judge, the man has shown no remorse for what happened. He has even denied most of the accusations, even when listening to audio fragments during the hearing. You can hear how panicked the woman reacted.
The judge does take into account that the man is mentally retarded and cannot sufficiently control himself in stressful situations. Such was the case that day in August. It is also in his favor that he has no criminal record, has put the relationship with his ex behind him and now has his life well on track.
In addition to community service, the man was sentenced to 45 days in prison, but he has already served it. The judge also ruled that the man must surrender his driver’s license for six months if he commits another crime within the next two years. He must also pay her 1,500 euros in compensation.
The chase led to a long traffic jam: