The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demands a conditional prison sentence of one year, 240 hours of community service, and a restraining order between the two for committing an armed robbery with a knife. A 20- and 23-year-old man from Utrecht allegedly robbed a supermarket in Utrecht, threatening and tying up two employees present.
It is Friday, June 21, 2024, when the two suspects enter the supermarket shortly before closing time. At that moment, two employees are present in the store. In the supermarkets storage room, the suspects try to tie up the employees with tie wraps while threatening them with a knife. One of the employees manages to grab the knife and flee the store. The suspects run after this employee out of the store and flee.
Evidence
During the robbery, the 20-year-old suspect was recognized by one of the employees as a former colleague of the supermarket. After the robbery, the phone conversations of the 20-year-old suspect were tapped. It appeared that the suspect called the co-defendant several times about the robbery. Through these conversations, the 23-year-old suspect was also traced. His involvement is confirmed by the GPS location of his phone at the time of the robbery.
Severity
The OM is clear about the severity of the facts: this concerns a robbery in which the suspects deliberately brought a knife. In addition, they tried to tie up both employees with tie wraps, which succeeded with one of the employees. Furthermore, it is shocking that the 20-year-old suspect stated that he committed the robbery out of feelings of revenge and not for the money. The suspect is a former employee of the supermarket in question and left the employer dissatisfied.
Sentence demand
When determining the sentence demand, the OM also looks at the personal circumstances of the suspects. For both suspects, a prison sentence means they can no longer continue their education. Despite the severity of the offense, the OM hopes that this extreme act was a one-time event and that they will build a good and positive future. The OM demands a conditional prison sentence of one year, 240 hours of community service, and a restraining order between the two suspects.
The verdict will follow on December 2.
