Two young men were seriously injured in an argument on Stratumseind in Eindhoven last December. 32-year-old Robin M. from that city had to appear as a suspect in the court in Den Bosch on Tuesday. He himself claims that the men had attacked him with a group and that he was not the attacker. The public prosecutor finds Robin dangerous and demanded a five-year prison sentence.
It was the night after the Netherlands lost its World Cup match against Argentina. 32-year-old Robin M. from Eindhoven had watched the match with some friends and together they ended up at Stratumseind after midnight.
50 note
When Robin was talking to the bouncer of a café in the middle of the nightlife street, someone pulled a 50 euro note from his hand. When he went to ask the unknown young man, he soon found himself confronted by a whole group.
According to Robin, the mood quickly changed from ‘Just send me a tag’ to ‘We’re going to get you’. Friends of the money thief got involved and the atmosphere became increasingly grim. Robin got scared and wanted to run away, he said. He had lost his friends for a while and he wanted to get to his car quickly.
At Catharinaplein he was caught up again by the group, including the young man who allegedly took the money. CCTV footage in the courtroom showed 8 or 9 people gathering around Robin, who literally stood with his back against the wall. There was pushing and pulling, while Robin apparently let it get to him.
Robin’s story
According to Robin, he received a heavy blow on the chin and saw stars. Ultimately, he received more blows from men from the group and was injured in his ear, cheekbone, jaw, lip and nose and bled profusely.
Somewhere he grabbed his pocket knife, Robin explained, to ward off the group and he ran off. The group scattered and one of them managed to kick him down as he fled. Robin’s friend finally picked him up and took him to the car.
Robin did not know how the two young men in their early twenties had suffered such serious stab wounds. He had not stabbed and later no longer had his knife in his hand. The stabbing is not recorded on camera footage and the knife was never found.
Story of the victims
The public prosecutor has a completely different story. She knew how the two men suffered the stab wounds. According to her, Robin actually went after one of the men in the group with the knife in his hand. A friend of the man being chased managed to kick Robin down and thus rescue his friend.
But then, according to the officer, things went wrong: Robin stabbed the man who knocked him down in the side and also stabbed a friend who came to help in the buttock. And with force, because the two men were seriously injured. According to the officer, it could have ended much worse.
Risk of recurrence
The officer fears that Robin may make the mistake again. Reports from a psychologist show that Robin can react anxiously and aggressively to stressful situations. And she found that worrying in combination with someone who thinks it is normal to always have a knife in her pocket.
The public prosecutor takes the case seriously and wants to severely punish the stabbing victims with five years in prison. The two victims both demanded significant compensation.
Robin’s lawyer doubts whether he is so guilty and deserves so many years in prison. Robin wanted his money back and was threatened by a large group, was abused and had to defend himself, according to the lawyer. The aggression did not come from Robin, but from the group.
The judge will rule in this case on November 14.