The shooting took place on Sunday evening 9 May last year in the garden of the Swiss, adjacent to the Haarlem Beeksteeg. The victim succumbed to his injuries two days later. Van N. had spent the 24 hours before the shooting sniffing coke.
The substantive handling of the criminal case against N. will take all day on Friday. The trial against Van N. is attended by family, friends and acquaintances of Dirk Zwitser.
During the investigation in court, which started the lawsuit on Friday morning, it has not yet become clear exactly what the background of the shooting is. In any case, it has to do with a quarrel between Van N. and his ex-girlfriend D., who was present in the alley during the shooting.
‘Panic’
Under the influence of cocaine, Van N. would have driven to the alley: “I received messages and phone calls from her. I heard panic in her voice and drove there,” said Van N. Friday: “I was panicked and under the influence. I did not recognize Swiss, but I did recognize a man who made threatening movements in my eyes when I arrived there.”
On camera images it can be seen that Van N. is speeding up in his van in the alley. He gets out and eight seconds later the shot is heard. Van N. admitted that he had the firearm in his car: “I felt threatened by my new girlfriend’s ex.”
From the questions of the judges, there was great doubt about Van N.’s statement that he wanted to help his ex: “His ex was an acquaintance of the victim. After the shooting, the suspect took his ex in his car and beat her there.” Messages between Van N. and his ex would also show that they had a big fight.
The public prosecutor will announce the sentence in the course of Friday.