Linesman killers sentenced to prison

The six-year prison sentence for the adult convicted of killing football linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen has been upheld by an appeals court. The court in Leeuwarden also upheld sentences on the six juvenile suspects for up to two years youth detention, with a chance of a reduced sentence on probation. The penalties are almost equal to the ones imposed by the court in Lelystad earlier this year.

Nieuwenhuizen, 41, was kicked to death while he was the officiating a match between his Almere club, Buitenboys, and the defendants' club, Nieuw Sloten from Amsterdam. He died in a hospital, on December 3, 2012, a day after the fight.

The adult male's sentence will be appealed to the Supreme Court, his lawyer said. The appellate court said he should have prevented the violence, not joined the fight.

The visiting team was angry about the way Nieuwenhuizen had called the game on the sideline. A quarrel escalated into "an explosion of violence," as the court described the incident in the ruling.

Nieuwenhuizen ended up on the ground and was kicked several times, including against his head and neck. The victim 'did not stand a chance,' according to the court.