Man who attempted to strangle wife of 60 years sentenced to 18 months in prison

An 86-year-old man from Oud-Alblas was sentenced on Tuesday by the Dordrecht court to 18 months in prison, six of which are suspended. The man attempted to strangle his 84-year-old wife in their home on January 6. The couple had been married for nearly 60 years.

According to the victim, H. grabbed her throat while she was asleep. After she pushed him away, she fled to the kitchen, where H. allegedly grabbed her throat again and also picked up two knives. The victim has stated that she never wants to see her husband again.

The suspect, Jan H., suffers from a depressive disorder and may have early-stage dementia. H. admitted to grabbing his wife by the throat. During the hearing two weeks ago, he said he did not know why he did it. The police, alerted by the victim, recorded from the suspect that he had tried to strangle his wife because he had lost the will to live and did not want to leave her alone. H. said he could not remember making those statements.

After serving his prison sentence, H. will be placed in a nursing or care home with psychiatric treatment, under the supervision of probation services. He is also prohibited from contacting the victim.