According to the court, it is established that there was premeditated murder. Alternative scenarios put forward by the defense such as robbery, kidnapping or threats were rejected.
According to the judge, the convicts both conducted reconnaissance at Wiersum’s house. They communicated via prepaid phones that became active in quick succession and were no longer used after the murder.
They were also in close contact on the morning of the murder. All this together, according to the judge, was sufficient to be able to speak of a close collaboration in a plan to kill Wiersum. “They committed the murder together,” the judge said in an explanation of the verdict.
Horrible
Giermo B. and Moreno B. have now been convicted as the executors, but who ordered the murder of Wiersum was not made clear during the trial. The two said they were innocent in the entire case and further invoked their right to remain silent. They knew that Wiersum was a lawyer, the judge ruled, but whether it was known to them that he represented key witness Nabil B. is not certain.
Giermo B. and Moreno B. both have a substantial criminal record for violent crimes and illegal possession of weapons, but have never been convicted of a life offense such as murder or manslaughter. That was reason for the judge not to follow the Public Prosecution Service and not to impose a life sentence. Life imprisonment for a single murder is also very exceptional in the Netherlands.
However, the court calls a very long sentence in order because of the horrific nature of the murder. “It is almost incomprehensible how horrible it must have been for Derk Wiersum’s wife to see her husband lying in a pool of blood.”
The judge also repeated the words of Wiersum’s father who said during the trial: “My child is gone. Can’t be found. Crossed out. Shot to pieces.” The father was awarded compensation of 2000 euros for emotional damage,
Third suspect
According to the court, the fact that Wiersum was a lawyer and therefore a servant of the rule of law is an aggravating circumstance. The judge referred to the murder of the brother of star witness Nabil B. and on Peter R. de Vries, who was the confidant of the crown witness.
Another factor in the verdict is that the suspects were silent during the case and that, given their criminal record, there is a risk of repetition. Furthermore, with the amount of the verdict, the court wants to prevent others from committing such attacks for money. In practice, the sentence of 30 years in prison means that both men are incarcerated for 28 years.
There is a third suspect in the case, Anouar T., a cousin of Taghi. He is said to have delivered the stolen cars used in the liquidation. His case will be heard later.
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