Suspect 'remembers little' of student's murder in Utrecht

Zamir M., the 31-year-old man suspected of murdering 24-year-old medical student Laura Korsman in Utrecht on July 11th, said that he remembers little of the incident, the court noted during an introductory session in this case on Tuesday. M.'s lawyer Annemiek van Spanje refused to respond to the court's comment, NU.nl reports.

"I met with my client on Tuesday morning and agreed to not react substantively yet", the lawyer said to the newspaper. "But I can place the comment."

The man is suspected of stabbing Korsman, his ex-girlfriend, to death in her student home on Bosboomstraat on July 11th. He was arrested that same day. The police are still investigating exactly what happened. M. is facing charges of murder or manslaughter. He is also suspected of stalking Korsman. 

A neighbor of Korsman told RTV Utrecht that the young woman ended her relationship with M. two weeks before her murder. M. could not accept this and harassed her. According to NU.nl, he sent her multiple WhatsApp messages and emails and hung around in front of the university building in Utrecht where Korsman studied. He also punctured here bicycle- and car tires. 

In June M. was detained for several days for harassing Korsman. A restraining order was issued against him and the police installed an alarm button in the woman's home. 

M. was not present in the courtroom on Tuesday. According to Van Spanje, the man is not doing well.

It was decided in court that M. would be examined in the Pieter Baan Center. As there is a waiting list of at least 22 weeks, the substantive treatment of this case is still some time away. The next pro-forma hearing is scheduled for January 17th. M. will remain in custody until then.