On Tuesday, June 29, a 36-year-old resident of Hoofddorp had to answer to the judge for causing an explosion in his own home on Friday, October 20, 2023.
That day, a fire broke out around 8:00 PM in the house on Sont in Hoofddorp. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called, investigated the house, and cleared explosive materials. The fire that had broken out was extinguished by the fire brigade.
The suspect was present in the house and was injured and taken to the hospital. In addition to the consequences for the suspect, several neighbors had to evacuate their (damaged or undamaged) homes, and an area around the apartment block was cordoned off.
When questioned, the suspect stated that he was working with flash powder and mixing powder. At one point, the powder exploded, causing a fire. The explosion was so powerful that a closed window detached from the facade and landed in the garden. Subsequently, a large fire broke out with a lot of smoke in the house where other explosive substances were also present, endangering people and homes.
Flash Powder
The suspect claims he did not know much about explosives and the risks, and that he was not aware that an explosion could occur without fire being involved. The public prosecutor believes that the suspect should have known. The NFI report indicates the ignition sensitivity of flash powder; a small spark - caused by the discharge of clothing or the removal of a lid as the suspect explains - can be sufficient for that. The likelihood of an explosion and fire occurring when mixing flash powder is therefore considerable, especially under the circumstances in which the suspect did this, without taking safety precautions. Moreover, he was working in a house with many jars of flash powder and other pyrotechnic materials.
The suspect stated that he had previously made flash powder and mixed these substances. He searched online for how to do it. Multiple cobra 6s were found in the house that appeared to have been emptied.
Research Obligation
The NFI indicates that pouring out flash powder can already be sufficient to cause ignition. The public prosecutor: Moreover, the explosive power and explosive danger of cobras and flash powder is a matter of general knowledge. A simple Google search on flash powder or mixing flash powder quickly leads you to forums where the danger is described. The suspect has stated that he searched online for how to mix. Given the above, it cannot be otherwise than that the suspect was aware of the ignition danger. Moreover, the suspect had a research obligation at the time he was working in a house with such extremely dangerous and therefore prohibited substances for private use. The suspect could have known and should have known the dangers. He consciously accepted the considerable risk of explosion and fire.
Drugs
In addition to causing the explosion, the man is also suspected of having had drugs with him on April 1, 2023, namely amphetamine and GHB. This was discovered by the police when his car was investigated. The public prosecutor also finds it proven that the suspect drove the car under the influence of amphetamine. This was evident from a saliva test and blood test.
On April 30, 2024, the suspect was checked during a general traffic control. He turned out to have an invalid drivers license and was then investigated. After a saliva test and blood test, it was found that he had been under the influence of amphetamine and GHB. The drivers license had been invalid since 2011. In 2016, he was already caught driving with it and was prosecuted for this. The man was acquitted. Since then, the man has made no effort to obtain a valid drivers license.
The public prosecutor emphasized in court: Using drugs while driving is life-threatening, not only for the driver but also for all other road users.
Also, on October 20, 2023, he endangered his neighbors and himself by working with material with a high ignition sensitivity in a house with explosives. The man was seriously injured, lost his pet, and lost his home. In the sentencing request, the public prosecutor takes into account the consequences for the suspect. But the fact remains that he has shown extremely dangerous behavior. The public prosecutor demanded 18 months of imprisonment with credit for pre-trial detention and a 12-month ban on driving.