A migrant worker from Bulgaria has been convicted of holding his four housemates hostage and injuring them at a holiday park in Gees. The man fell into a psychosis due to a cocktail of alcohol and drugs.
The court in Assen established this based on witness interviews of the housemates, all four Bulgarian migrant workers. Their 33-year-old co-resident went completely crazy on February 6 in the bungalow where they lived. He locked the men in a bedroom and threatened to kill them, wounding two of them with a knife and a metal pipe. He also stole car keys and a wallet. One of the victims managed to escape and called the police, who tasered the psychotic man upon entry.
Fair trial
According to the man’s lawyer, the interrogations of the witnesses should be excluded as evidence. The police did not record the conversations, which is normal. A formal error according to the counsel, who was right by the court. However, he does not attach any consequences to this because the four were also interrogated by the examining magistrate. This is a judge who supervises the investigation by the Public Prosecution Service. The court therefore sees no serious infringement of a fair trial.
The man was examined by a psychologist, who made a “bunch” of diagnoses. He suspects that the perpetrator acted from a psychosis, caused by excessive alcohol and drug use. This psychosis makes him less accountable. This, combined with a low IQ and schizoid characteristics, means that the probation service considers treatment necessary, in addition to a possible punishment.
Bizarre
The court finds that the man’s diminishing responsibility does not alter the “bizarre and serious” way in which he affected the safety of his housemates. “They were terrified and injured in their own homes.”
The man receives a prison sentence of three years, of which one year is conditional, with a probation period of three years. The Bulgarian has been in prison since his arrest in February. That pre-trial detention will be deducted from his sentence.
According to the judges, there is a good chance that the man will commit crimes again if he is not treated. On the advice of the probation service, the court attaches a number of conditions to the sentence, which take effect immediately. For example, the man is no longer allowed to use alcohol and drugs, he is required to report and must undergo clinical treatment after his prison sentence.
If he does not comply with the conditions, he will still have to serve the twelve-month suspended prison sentence.