“Shocking, and without any awareness of how serious his actions were,” is how the court describes the actions of main suspect Zakaria A. (22) from Middenbeemster.
The 22-year-old will receive the highest sentence: seven years and ten months in prison, the judge determined in the extra-secure court at Schiphol.
Wrong house hit
The court finds that A. is responsible for several serious offences, including shooting at two homes and placing a fireworks bomb. This caused great unrest and fear in the neighborhood.
According to the court, it is pure luck that no injuries or deaths occurred. One of the attacks even hit the home of a resident who was innocent, because the real target was next door.
Much less punishment than demanded
The court imposes a considerably lower sentence than the fifteen years demanded by the Public Prosecution Service. This is because a large number of serious accusations, including (preparation of) murder, manslaughter and complicity in an explosion, could not be proven. A. was acquitted for those facts.
Zakaria A. was not present in court today because he is currently in custody in Belgium for a robbery.
Serious crimes, years in prison
Anass O. (22) is present. Together with the absent Yassir E. (21), he receives a three-year unconditional prison sentence for their role the shelling and explosion on Weverstraat in Purmerend. According to the court, they did not care about the danger to the residents and during the hearing they showed no awareness of the seriousness of their actions.
Nino H. (23) is also present in court. He is sentenced to twelve months in prison, six months of which are conditional, for his role as driver in an explosion and arson on the night of April 11 to 12. a house on the Boeierstraat in Purmerend.
The court considers it proven that H. Zakaria took A. to the house, waited and then drove him away, making the violence possible. He was acquitted of the other charges, including complicity in the shooting and preparing an attack.
Also prison sentences for rival group
The two main suspects from the rival group, a 22-year-old man from Purmerend and a 23-year-old Rotterdam resident, both receive six years and ten months in prison. One suspect for attempted manslaughter, prohibited possession of weapons and threats. The other for complicity in attempted manslaughter, prohibited possession of weapons and threats.
End of violent period
Both rival groups heard the verdict simultaneously today: the Purmerend group in the court in Haarlem, the group from the Middenbeemster region in the extra-secure court at Schiphol.
The convictions bring an end to the violent period that kept Purmerend and Middenbeemster in great tension two and a half years ago, with shootings, explosions and reprisals that followed in rapid succession. Read here what happened in 2023.