Sixth arrest in Berkhouter Sjaak Groot murder case: an overview

Back to that fatal night of June 14, 2021. According to statements, the group of robbers gathered in a warehouse in Hoogwoud. There it is decided to break into Sjaak Groot’s house. He would not be at home and there would be a safe in the house.

Sjaak Groot shot

But things are very different. The burglars make a lot of noise and are caught by Sjaak. If he resists, does he get shot† De Berkhouter tries to call 112, but dies with the telephone still in his hand. The group of men flees.

The death of the man who was known in the village as ‘Uncle Sjaak’ caused dismay in Berkhout. A large-scale investigation is immediately started and a reward of 15,000 euros promised.

Suicide gets case rolling

It is only much later that it appears that the case has already started two weeks after Sjaak Groot’s death. In a West Frisian village, just a few kilometers away, a 30-year-old man takes his own life. The weapon with which he shoots himself, is being investigated by the detectives.

It appears to have been the same weapon with which Sjaak was killed and is being extensively investigated. The father of the man who killed himself previously told NH Nieuws that he was not told how his son got the weapon and that it was linked to the death of Sjaak Groot.

First arrest

On November 2, the police will again make an appeal in the TV program Opsporing Verzocht. Almost simultaneously, an arrest team storms into a flat in the Alkmaar district of Overdie. They are looking for the 27-year-old DM

A day later, neighbors of the Alkmaarder told NH Nieuws that they had ‘never seen anything like it’. “They came from all sides, with weapons, balaclavas, dogs and everything.” A successful campaign: the suspect Alkmaarder being arrested† “There were at least twelve cars with tinted windows on the side of the flat and they have been investigating until late at night,” said a neighbor.

Suspect denies shooting

During a first interim hearing, in February this year, DM says he ran away before the shooting. “He thought the chance that they would be caught was too great,” said his lawyer Geertjan van Oosten.

In the meantime, a man from North Scharwoude and also the 37-year-old Rotterdammer RM arrested. The latter will appear in court for the first time in mid-March, but denies all involvement at the robbery. “I have nothing to do with this case,” said RM. But according to the public prosecutor, app conversations and statements by co-defendants show something completely different.

App conversations

According to the officer, the robbery was discussed with the others. For example, the word ‘tori’ was frequently used. That’s slang for committing a robbery. But according to M. he used the word in a different context.

In addition, it appears from his telephone signal that M. was in Hoogwoud that evening, the place where the group had gathered in a shed just before the robbery. He himself says that he no longer remembers what he was doing that evening, but that he was not in the shed or during the robbery.

Counter suspects increases

During the hearing it also appears that there are more suspects: five in total. One of them has died in the meantime. And so today a sixth suspect was added. A 29-year-old man from Opmeer was arrested in a house in Obdam.

The lawyer of the relatives of Sjaak Groot, Liselotte van Gaalen, is also aware of the latest arrest, but cannot say much more about it. “It is difficult, because there is still a lot going on. Several investigations are underway. The relatives mainly want to stay in the shade, but it is of course nice for them that extensive investigations are being carried out and arrests have been made.”

Violent Robber Gang

With several investigations, the lawyer refers to a series of six robberies between Alkmaar and Hoorn, to which the group is also linked. In varying composition, the group would hunt for cash at people’s homes.

And violence was not shunned. For example, on August 7, 2020 in De Goorn hit a resident. “I got a lot of blows with the crowbar against my shoulder and was kicked in the face. They shouted that they wanted money,” the victim said. Shots are also aimed at him, but because he just turned his head away, the bullet misses him by a hair.

In North Scharwoude things also go wrong on July 22, 2021. Robbers shoot a resident and tie up a neighbor. The shot victim ran down the street bleeding, but survives.

In addition to the robbery on Sjaak Groot in Berkhout, and that in De Goorn and Noord-Scharwoude, the group is now also linked to three other violent robberies. At a gas station in Nieuwe Niedorp (9 August 2020), a house in Heerhugowaard (4 June 2021) and a house in Avenhorn (7 January 2021). In the latest robbery, a woman is killed shot in her neckbut makes it out alive.

It is still unclear whether the investigations into the murder of Sjaak Groot and the other five robberies with the sixth arrest today have been completed.