Long prison sentences for three Dutch nationals in London murder case

Three Dutch nationals were sentenced to long prison sentences in London on Friday in a 2020 murder case. They are two men, aged 38 and 40, of no fixed abode, and a 35-year-old woman who lives in England.

In November 2020, 25-year-old Riches Obi was murdered in his home in the London borough of Southwark. Officers found him with slash and stab wounds, as well as his mother, Bernadette Ortet, who was tied up with cable ties and a cloth around her neck, which was probably used to gag her. Riches later died of his injuries.

The mother of a son who was murdered in his own home, after the killer tied her up and demanded money from a sham marriage scheme, has spoken of her 'bottomless pit' of grief. Riches Obi, 25, was slashed and stabbed to death in Elephant and Castle pic.twitter.com/EGhSpBPFN0

— CourtNewsUK (@CourtNewsUK) July 11, 2024

According to British media, there was a disagreement between her and the suspects over a payment in connection with a sham marriage. The chief inspector said she was possibly the target of the trio. He also said it was unclear why Riches Obi was killed and whether he had tried to intervene.

Police tracked down the 35-year-old woman because she had bought scarves from a nearby store. The two other suspects were also targeted via her phone. They had traveled by ferry from the Netherlands to England shortly before the murder and returned by ferry after the murder. One was arrested and extradited to the Netherlands in November 2021, and the other was arrested in Colombia in February 2022.

Riches Obi's mother had fled to Nigeria after his murder and did not help police with the investigation of the case or provide any evidence in court. However, according to the British newspaper The Mirror, she gave a victim impact statement, which was read out in court. "Although it has been now over three years since these three heartless people killed my beloved son in the most gruesome manner, it still feels like only yesterday. He was only 25 with all of his life ahead of him. His murder has created a bottomless pit for grief in our hearts."

The three Dutch suspects were sentenced to long prison sentences on Friday: The 38-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the 40-year-old suspect to 7.5 years, and the woman from England to 11.5 years. All three have already been convicted in the Netherlands for theft, among other things.