Co-suspect in fatal incident involving illegal fireworks could face 12 months in prison

A case with only losers. This is how the Public Prosecution Service (OM) described the proceedings against a 25-year-old suspect charged with aiding and abetting the detonation of a Cobra, a dangerous explosive, and attempted arson in a house in the Steijnlaan in The Hague. In this incident, a 23-year-old man, a friend of the suspect, was killed when the Cobra exploded in his hands. The prosecution is demanding a prison sentence for the offense.

On January 25 of this year, the 25-year-old was called by his friend in the middle of the night. He asked him to come with him to the Steijnlaan in The Hague, where an ex-boyfriend of his girlfriend was said to live. The suspect calls up the address on his phone and the two of them set off. When they arrive at the Steijnlaan house, the 23-year-old co-accused throws petrol into the letterbox, takes a Cobra out of his pocket, and lights it. But the Cobra explodes almost immediately in his hands. He loses both hands and later dies in hospital as a result of the explosion.

The 23-year-old is arrested by the police on the same day. He finds out from the police that his friend did not survive the explosion.

Nine months later, the 25-year-old defendant is accused of being present at the crime and going along voluntarily, such as giving the lighter and passing the bottle of petrol to his friend at the scene. “He was in a position to stop the victim or at least not participate himself. But he didn't or didn't do that,” said an officer. According to the officer, this makes him complicit in both the ignition of the Cobra and the attempted arson of the house.

“Setting off illegal fireworks is very dangerous. It is life-threatening for the person setting it off, the person standing next to it and, in this case, for the occupants of the house. The lighting of fires and the setting off of heavy illegal fireworks to intimidate others must stop.”

The public prosecutor's office is demanding a 12-month prison sentence, part of which will be suspended with a two-year probation period. The OM is also demanding 240 hours of community service. The sentence takes into account the fact that the accused witnessed the whole thing happening in front of him and lost his friend as a result.