Prison sentence increased to 14 years in Claudia Oskam murder

Applause broke out in a Den Bosch courtroom gallery when judges handed down a 14-year-prison sentence to William R. in the murder of his ex wife, Claudia Oskam. The court convicted him of murder in the appeal of this case, Omroep Brabant reports. The sentence is higher than the 12 years the Public Prosecutor demanded two weeks ago. Last year R. was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison by a court in Breda. The judge was not convinced that R.'s actions were premeditated. The Public Prosecutor appealed and this time the court ruled in the prosecutor's favor and convicted R. of murder. According to the broadcaster, the judge took into account that R. has reduced accountability and regrets his actions when he decided on the sentence. During the appeal R. stated that he "never wanted to" kill Claudia, that he is "no killer" and that he is getting therapy "to make sure it doesn't happen again." Claudia Oskam's body was found just outside her home town of Zevenbergen in January last year. She was stabbed, kicked in the head and strangled. The body was discovered based on a tip from R. The two of them were fighting due to financial difficulties. R.'s friends and family were shocked when he was first arrested.