Suleiman Al H. (23) and Wail El B. (21) from Hilversum are jointly responsible for the deadly house fire at the Lutherhof. That is what the public prosecutor says today in the court in Utrecht. The men would have helped to cause the fire in Hilversum, where two people died. The suspects have been sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Two years ago, on May 28, gasoline was thrown through the mailbox of Marco and Vanessa’s house in the middle of the night. The petrol was ignited, resulting in a conflagration with fatal consequences. Vanessa died that same day, Marco a day later. Suleiman Al H. and Wail El B. would have helped the main suspect, AK, to cause that fire.
According to the public prosecutor, Al H. was on the lookout and lent his debit card to buy petrol, and El B. transported the suspects to and from the house. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the main suspect bought, distributed and lit the petrol. A prison sentence of two years and juvenile TBS was demanded against him yesterday. That trial took place behind closed doors, because he was still a minor at the time of the fire.
Sweets
Al H. and El B. say in court today that they did not know that the plan was to set the house on fire. According to Al H., he lent out his debit card because he thought it would be used to get candy: “If I had known what was really intended, I would never have done it.”
El. B. says he doesn’t remember much of the evening at all. “It was just a normal night for me. We drove around and chilled out a bit. I didn’t know this would happen.”
“If I had known what was really meant to be, I never would have done it”
During the court case in Utrecht, Al H. in particular was very emotional. “I wake up every day and think: this happened because I lent out my debit card. Two people have died. I haven’t been able to sleep for two years.”
The other suspect, El B., comes across as calm and nonchalant. “It’s all appearances. I am also very tense and feel sorry for the relatives,” he says.
Camera images
The detectives tracked down the three suspects thanks to camera images from a security camera at the home of Marco and Vanessa. They had hung them because they had been harassed for months. For example, a stone was once thrown through the window, a dead rat was placed in front of the door and eggs were thrown against the house.
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Throw
The lawyer of the relatives indicated today that Marco and Vanessa have tried to do something about this before. “They complained about this to the municipality, but nothing was ever really done about it.”
The harassment presumably came from several neighbours. According to the Public Prosecution Service, Marco and Vanessa had had a bad relationship with residents in their area for years. The couple had been arguing with one of them for a long time.
Money
The lawyer for the relatives claims that the boys caused the house fire ‘for money’. “They got about 150 euros for it. For two human lives.” According to the investigation by the Public Prosecution Service, it is indeed true that the boys received money through tikkies. From whom exactly they received this money is still being investigated.
“They received about 150 euros for it. For two human lives”
Contrary to what the men themselves indicate, the public prosecutor considers it proven that the men knew they would set the house fire. The officer just doesn’t think it was the intention to kill Marco and Vanessa. The judge will rule on the case on June 14.