Has roofer Michael V. an explosive thrown to a colleague or is he innocent? According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), he is one of the attacker in the roofer war, but Michael denies everything in a rattling story. “I didn’t throw the Cobra and I don’t want to say anything else.” The OM demands a 36 -month prison sentence for the attack and transporting drugs.
“There is quite a bit going on in the city,” says the public prosecutor, referring to the roofing war in Den Bosch. “There is a lot of explosives, a Cobra has the power of a hand grenade. That is not possible, it is not about anything. People are afraid, it has major social consequences. That is why it deserves a serious punishment.”
No answer
The 32-year-old roofer Michael V. from Oisterwijk is suspected of exploding an explosive and endangering people and their environment. That happened on October 9 at the Wibothof in Den Bosch with a Cobra 6. Windows died in the explosion, nobody was injured.
In addition, Michael was caught during the transport of cocaine, MDMA and GHB. He confesses blame when it comes to drugs. “I regret that. I have been stupid by bringing the stuff from A to B.” But when it comes to the attack at a fellow roof decker, Michael is silent. He does not want to answer many simple questions: “I want to leave it at that, thank you.”
Earlier vandalism
According to the OM there is enough evidence that Michael is the attacker. For example, there are WhatsApp messages between the suspect and victim, in which it becomes clear that there is a conflict. And a few seconds after the explosion, an eyewitness sees Michael running away from the victim’s garden. In addition, he was recognized two days earlier on the doorbell camera. At that time, the video doorbell, the window of the front door and a victim’s car was already destroyed.
“I can’t remember what happened on October 7, so I’m not going to make any statements about that. I have been at the door there, but no idea if that was on October 7,” Michael responds. He says about the attack: “I have absolutely not thrown that Cobra, I didn’t have been. And I want to leave it at that.”
Michael knew the victim
Michael’s story is vague. He knows the victim through a friend with whom he even lived together. “I have said goodbye to that friend. That is better for my future, I did not support his choices.”
But V. also collaborated with the victim. “He advertised my roofing company. I don’t know how he did that.” Michael does not want to share how much he paid for that. “He took care of the customers and then I made a quote.”
In app conversations you can read some threatening language about a website that would be taken out of the air. “I didn’t have an Akkefietje with him, I had no problems with him,” the suspect responds.
Response Lawyer
The public prosecutor believes that Michael has thrown the Cobra and endangered people with the possibility of serious physical injury. Justice demands 3 months in prison for drugs. Together with the attack, it amounts to 36 months, of which 6 months are conditional.
Lawyer Gerald Roethof finds all the evidence too thin. “No DNA has been found on the Cobra, only some pieces of paper from the fireworks. This whole thing is all about the statement of one witness who has seen someone run. You can’t say with certainty that Michael has thrown and so there must be acquittal.”
The judge will make a decision on 19 September.
Attacks at roofers
Cars, vans and houses of roofers in Den Bosch were more often the target of explosions and arson in the past year. Research by Omroep Brabant showed that since the summer of 2024 at least 29 attacks took place.
In October 2024, the conflict reached a boiling point with at least ten attacks. After February it seemed calm for a few months, but since July a number of attacks on a car and a delivery van from a roofer.
A roofer previously opened a booklet at Omroep Brabant and described the roofing world as ‘the underworld’. It would all be about finished customers and conflicts in the criminal environment. Several suspects have now been arrested in connection with the roofing war.