Tennis players to testify in businessman murder trial

Former tennis coach Mark de J.'s lawyer wants to call tennis players Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling to testify as witnesses in the trial surrounding the murder of businessman Koen Everink. The Public Prosecutor has no problem with calling the tennis players as witnesses, was revealed in a pre-trial hearing in Utrecht on Monday, ANP reports.

Everink was stabbed to death in his home in Bilthoven on March 4th. De J. is suspected of murdering the businessman, with gambling debt as a potential motive. De J'.s lawyer believes the tennis players could shed more light on De J.'s gambing habbits.

The Public Prosecutor objected to the lawyer's request to have Everink's daughter testify. The 6-year-old girl was present in the home when Everink was murdered and was also the one to discover her father's body. She has been questioned twice alread, andy calling her as a witness will only be harmful to the little girl, the Prosecutor said. The lawyer eventually withdrew this request.

The lawyer also asked that friends of Everink and a number of women he had recent contact with be called as witnesses, so they can shed light on the financial conflicts Everink is rumored to have had. The Prosecutor objected to this. The court will decide whether these witnesses will be called.

De J., the former coach of Haase, denies having anything to do with Everink's murder. He was at the businessman's home the night he was killed, but claims Everink was still alive when he left. He also claims that he was kidnapped by four men when he was leaving Everink's home.

It is unclear when this trial will start.