The explosion occurs around three oclock in the night. When officers arrive on the scene, they see that there is damage to the roller shutter and fresh bloodstains are found on the ground. A little further down Strandweg, the police find an injured man. The man is arrested and investigations show that he is the suspect who caused an explosion at Zusterstraat.

Reconnaissance

Camera footage shows that the suspect had been on reconnaissance. He walks by the location about fifteen minutes before the explosion. He then sets fire to a taped-together projectile. According to the Public Prosecution Service, this indicates intent. The fact that the suspect was injured in the explosion on his foot is, according to the Public Prosecution Service, no reason for a reduction in sentence.

“There has been so much attention for the danger of explosives and heavy fireworks,” says the prosecutor. “If you detonate a homemade projectile, you run the risk of getting injured.”

Demand

It is seen as an aggravating factor that the explosive was detonated in a street where many people were at home at the time. The Public Prosecution Service therefore demands a prison sentence of 20 months, of which 4 months are conditional.

Cobra at Notenplein

Earlier this week, a 49-year-old man was on trial for causing an explosion at a residence on Notenplein in The Hague on January 1, 2025. The suspect had filled a vacuum cleaner hose with a cobra and detonated it in a hallway. In this case, there was said to have been a conflict, and a firework bomb was used. The Public Prosecution Service demanded a prison sentence of 18 months, of which 6 months are conditional.

The court will rule in both cases in two weeks.