‘This is an attack. You cant call it anything else. Throwing a firework, with the force of a hand grenade, through the mailbox of a house is already terribly wrong in itself. But this seems not to be a case of reckless mischief, but rather a targeted action.’
With these words, the public prosecutor motivated the sentence demand today at the court in Zwolle against a 26-year-old woman from Steenwijk. She threw a cobra through the mailbox of a house on Tulpstraat in Steenwijk on January 1 of this year. A prison sentence of 36 months, of which 12 months conditional with a probation period of 3 years, is according to the prosecutor appropriate.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, camera footage, phone data, and statements from witnesses, the complainant, and the suspect herself provide legal and convincing evidence that the woman threw the cobra. No involvement of others has been demonstrated.
The woman is held responsible for what was apparently an act of revenge in an ongoing conflict with the resident of the house. By throwing the cobra through the mailbox, the suspect has taken significant risks according to the Public Prosecution Service. Not only for damage but also for injury: ‘After all, this is a house where people were present at that moment, including children. Someone was even on the toilet at the time of the explosion, 2 to 3 meters from the mailbox through which the cobra was thrown. A cobra can cause life-threatening injuries.’
The Public Prosecution Service notes that causing explosions through the use of heavy fireworks is increasingly common to settle disputes, not only within the criminal circuit. Especially when there is a risk of serious bodily harm or death, the Public Prosecution Service can demand severe prison sentences for this.
Considering the criminal record, but also the personal circumstances of this suspect, the prosecutor finds a prison sentence of 36 months, of which 12 months conditional, appropriate. The prosecutor also requested the court to impose a contact ban on the victims for the woman.