Almelo man sentenced to 120 days for staging his own death

A 31-year-old man from Almelo was sentenced to 120 days in prison, including 103 days suspended, for attempting to stage his own death and threatening public officials.

Between May and June 2025, the man, facing financial difficulties, forged official documents including a birth certificate, a notarial declaration, and a death certificate. He posed as a funeral director and attempted to report his own death in Enschede.

Authorities grew suspicious after no body was delivered to the crematorium. When he tried to retrieve his death certificate at the municipal office, employees recognized him from a photo.

The man later tried to register under a Spanish name in Zwolle, using a Dutch-language Spanish birth certificate and listing a non-existent law and notary firm. While posing as his own social worker, he also threatened municipal workers in Almelo, claiming his “client” intended to shoot the employees with an AK-47.

In September 2025, while living in Doetinchem, he threatened a neighbor by saying he would open the home’s gas valve. The following day, he opened a stove burner and called emergency services himself. Authorities confirmed there was no immediate explosion risk.

Psychological evaluation found that he suffers from a severe personality disorder. The court noted his reduced criminal responsibility when issuing the sentence.