Two then 19-year-old main suspects of the brutal robbery of a casino in Bergen have been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. During the robbery at the beginning of January, they threatened an employee and two customers with a firearm and managed to get away with 35,000 euros. Four years in prison had been demanded.
According to the court and the Public Prosecution Service, the young men from Amsterdam and Rotterdam played a major role in the robbery on January 3 at the Flash Casino on the Prinsessenlaan, for which two other suspects have been arrested (that court case has yet to take place, ed.).
One had a firearm with him, the other a large knife. With this they threaten a casino employee, who was forced to go to the safe room. Two customers are also threatened by the two.
What they don’t know is that the police watching live because the employee managed to press the alarm. With about 35,000 euros, the robbers run outside, but are already surrounded by the police who, among other things, fire warning shots at their arrest.
The court accuses the duo that the armed robbery was not a spontaneous action, but a preconceived plan to steal money. For victims “an extremely frightening experience.” It also caused “fear, unrest and insecurity” for local residents.
The fact that the sentence is lower than required is due to the young age of the robbers. One of them had no criminal record, the other did. But he showed remorse during the case and provided openness, according to the court.
Both suspects must pay one of the victims 2,000 euros in compensation.