The public prosecutor demanded six years of imprisonment on Thursday, March 6, against five men suspected of committing a home invasion on January 6, 2024, shortly before 11 PM in Heerhugowaard. At that time, two families (the residents and a visiting family) were present in the house. The robbers were caught in the act.
The suspects are a 26-year-old man from Barendrecht, a 25-year-old man without a fixed residence, a 28-year-old man from The Hague, and two men from Curaçao aged 21 and 23. The prosecution believes that they committed a home invasion together with the intent to steal money. The prosecution ultimately charges them with two counts: a completed home invasion because they left with two phones, and an attempted robbery with violence in concert because the taking of the money was unsuccessful. In addition to the demand for a six-year prison sentence, the public prosecutor requested a contact ban concerning all victims.
What happened that evening
On the evening of the home invasion, five masked and armed men broke into the house by smashing a window with a crowbar. The 25-year-old suspect was later found to have injured his hand during this act.
Once inside, one victim was held at gunpoint and looked directly down the barrel. The attendees thought they would not survive. The robbers threatened and shouted for money while spreading throughout the house. They intensified the threats with the weapons they carried: a crowbar, knives, and multiple guns.
A resident who opened the front door to call for help was grabbed and pulled inside. He was struck in the neck, and a gun was pointed at his face and loaded. He was thrown to the ground, grabbed by the throat, and choked. Nearby, his wife was threatened by another robber with a knife held to her face and throat.
A man visiting the family tried to wrest a weapon from one of the robbers. The robbers overpowered him and used significant violence. They also shoved a gun into his mouth while his 5-year-old son witnessed all this violence from the stairs and wet his pants.
His wife had managed to hide with their baby in the stair cupboard and was able to call the police.
Upstairs, three children aged 5, 7, and 16 were present. The 16-year-old locked himself in the bathroom and tried to call 112. The robbers broke open the door with a crowbar and stood armed in front of the boy. His phone was taken and thrown to the ground. The men suddenly ran out of the house with two phones belonging to the 16-year-old boy.
The police quickly arrived with multiple units following the call from the woman in the stair cupboard. The police initiated a chase and fired multiple warning shots. Thanks to the deployment of a helicopter and police dogs, the five suspects were apprehended. The two phones belonging to the boy were found on the escape route.
Evidence
Investigations revealed that the men had driven from the Westland and Rotterdam areas to Heerhugowaard in two cars. DNA from different suspects was found on several of the recovered weapons. Four suspects could be placed in the house based on shoe print comparative research.
The men claim not to know why they went to the house and deny using violence. The evidence tells a different story.
The public prosecutor elaborated in court that there is a joint execution, and the suspects worked closely and consciously together.
Severity of the facts
The victims present in the house experienced extreme fear for their lives. Violence was used against several of them, and they were threatened with a weapon. To this day, they are mentally affected by what happened to them that day. They are still afraid that the suspects will harm them, partly because it has never been made clear why they were targeted. The suspects provide no openness about the matter, and the public prosecutor holds this against them heavily.
In the opinion of the prosecution, all suspects had an equal share in the whole, and therefore the same lengthy prison sentence is demanded against them all. Additionally, the public prosecutor requests a freedom-restricting measure, namely a contact ban concerning all victims for a period of five years.
The court will issue a ruling in two weeks