Suspect ’emotional’ in tour of murder scene

30 January 2004

AMSTERDAM — The man accused of shooting and killing a Sittard couple last summer became “very emotional” as the public prosecutor led him around the murdered man and woman’s house on Friday.

Jo and Ine Zwakhalen were shot in the head and killed on 12 July last year, while their nine-year-old granddaughter Audrey was also shot in the head and was admitted to hospital in a coma. She later recovered, but does not remember the incident. 

The 30-year-old Olaf H. denies the murder allegations, but admits he was in the house when the shooting occurred. He claims another man shot the three victims, news agency ANP reported.

The man’s defence lawyer — who requested that the defendant be led around the house — said H became very emotional and that the tour was not easy for his client.

But the lawyer also said the tour was “very clarifying” because H. was able to tell justice authorities what happened in the house and where he had hid when the shooting occurred.

H. had visited the Zwakhalens to buy a BMW from their car yard and after the shooting occurred, he fled the country in his new vehicle. But the truck driver returned several days later and reported to police.

The Public Prosecution Office (OM) has alleged that the H.’s motive for the murder was robbery. The prosecution said it did not gain any new insights into the case from Thursday’s tour.

The murder trial will resume in Maastricht Court on 24 March.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news