A 51-year-old man from Groningen has been sentenced to 90 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence of 90 days for possessing homemade explosives. The man had a pipe bomb with 40 bullets in his then home in Eelde.
Residents of the village of Eelde were startled on June 26, 2023 by the massive police response to the Oosterbroek. There was talk of a confused man with possible explosives. The man allegedly threatened to ‘shut down’ a Qbuzz line. A police helicopter flew over the area and local residents were called on via Burgernet notification to look out for the person.
Ultimately, the officers removed the explosive and 310 explosive cartridges from the suspect’s home. He had had the explosive in his possession for seven years, he told the judge in Assen on Monday. The man stayed in a shelter for veterans in Eelde. Given his background, no risks were taken. The Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) detonated the object the same evening.
The man now lives under supervision in Groningen. The judge took this upward spiral into account. The man also had to wait a long time for his case to be resolved. The Groninger must be treated.