Two people sentenced to prison for over 20 years for murder of Dutch man in Belgium

A court in Belgium has sentenced two people to lengthy prison sentences for the murder of Dutch businessman Marcel van Hout. The victim’s ex-wife, Jouhara A. was sentenced to 26 years in prison for ordering the murder, and the culprit, Roger C. was handed a 23-year prison sentence.

The Dutchman was shot and killed in 2017 while he was in his villa in Pelt, which is a Belgian municipality near Valkenwaard, Netherlands. Roger C., who works as a handyman, confessed to the murder, saying that Jouhara A. had ordered him to do it.

She was said to have been upset that Van Hout had a new girlfriend and to have pushed for changes to his will. The jury found that A. had incited her co-defendant to commit the murder by having sex with him and exerting pressure on him in various ways. She is also said to have given the man the loaded firearm to kill her ex.

Both of the accused were emotional in the court. C. said that he feels guilty about what he has done to Van Hout’srelatives. A. sobbed and clung to her innocence. "You accused me of something I didn't do. You buried me alive. I find that very bad, for my family, mother and son. I didn't do anything. It's not true."