Scottish suspect convicted in Dutch crime blogger’s murder

A 33-year-old Scottish man named Christopher Hughes has been convicted of the murder of Dutch crime blogger and ex-criminal Martin Kok in 2016, according to Police Scotland. He was also found guilty of serious organized crimes.

The Scottish criminal lured Kok to his murder on Dec. 8, 2016, and was with the Dutch crime writer when two men shot him dead with eight bullets outside a sex club in Laren, according to AT5. Another murder attempt had already been made earlier in the day, when Hughes and Kok had an appointment in a hotel in Amsterdam, but it was botched when the assassin's gun failed to fire.

Hughes was arrested in Italy in January 2020 and extradited to Scotland following an investigation that involved international law enforcement, according to Police Scotland. He was convicted on March 30 after a trial at a High Court in Glasgow. Aside from Kok's murder, Hughes was also tried for importing controlled drugs and possessing firearms and prohibited weapons and ammunition.

Several previous attempts had been made on Kok's life. That summer, a bomb was placed under his car while he was eating in a restaurant, but was discovered by a passerby. A year prior, his house and car were shot at, according to AT5. Kok was a convicted killer who started a crime blog called Vlinderscrime.nl after his release from prison. 

“It has been well-documented that Hughes is a dangerous individual with a long association with organised crime in Scotland and beyond," said Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston in a statement. “I am grateful to colleagues in The Netherlands and Italy for their assistance in locating and arresting Hughes, allowing us to bring him before the courts to face the consequences of his nefarious actions."