Two men given life sentences for 7 robberies that left one dead and two injured

The Amsterdam Court of Appeal has handed out life sentences to two men over their roles in a string of seven violent robberies committed in 2020 and 2021 across the West Friesland region and Gelderland. One of the robberies, in Berkhout, claimed the life of a victim, while two other victims were seriously injured in separate attacks.

The court ruled that life imprisonment was justified for the two defendants, Ruviëni M., from Rotterdam, and Glenn V., from Noord-Scharwoude. The court identified them as the gunmen who explicitly discharged firearms during the break-ins.

The accomplice sentenced to 24 years and 9 months is Deniz R. from Obdam. The accomplice sentenced to 19 years and 9 months is Mark V. from Opmeer. The appeals court significantly increased the sentences from the 2024 district court ruling, in which the highest penalty given was 30 years. The judges deemed the initial sentences insufficient given the severity of the crimes.

The man killed in the Berkhout robbery was 72-year-old Sjaak Groot, frequently referred to in local media as "Ome Sjaak.” He was shot and killed during a physical struggle with the intruders while actively on the phone with 112 emergency services.

The two other critically injured victims were shot in separate incidents. During a home invasion in Avenhorn, a resident was shot directly in the neck. In Noord-Scharwoude, a resident was shot in the chest and back but managed to drag himself into the street to get life-saving first aid from neighbors.

According to the judges, the crimes caused "immeasurable suffering" for victims and their loved ones and left many residents in the region feeling unsafe in their own homes.

In their verbal explanation, the appeals judges described the gang's methods as "gruesome, ruthless," and "almost sadistic". They emphasized that the gang operated as a highly professional, meticulously prepared criminal enterprise.

Despite the extreme violence, trauma, and loss of life inflicted, court documents revealed the robbers only walked away with a few hundred euros per person from the violent thefts.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded a combined total of over €350,000 in damages to be paid by the defendants to the victims and surviving relatives. In total, the gang's 7-robbery spree terrorized 13 individual victims across towns including Avenhorn, Berkhout, Heerhugowaard, Noord-Scharwoude, Dreumel, and a gas station in Nieuwe Niedorp.

The police made more related arrests earlier this year. A 38-year-old from Amsterdam was arrested on Feb. 25, 2026, in connection with the robberies in Noord-Scharwoude, De Goorn, Avenhorn, and Dreumel (West Maas en Waal). Then, on March 17, police also arrested a 40-year-old man from Amsterdam, a weapon was found during the arrest.