Appeals court also acquits four "tattoo killers" of 2009 murder

The four suspects in the murder of Onno Kuut in March 2009 were also acquitted by the Court of Appeal on Thursday. Just like the District Court earlier, the Court of Appeal found insufficient evidence to convict the “tattoo killers.”

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had recommended prison sentences of 10 years and three months against Brian P. (38) and eight years and seven months against his brother Cor P. (43) on appeal. The OM had wanted to demand higher sentences, but that was impossible due to previous convictions.

The OM had requested acquittal for Evert S. (45) and Jeroen S. (52). At the District Court, the prosecution still sought life imprisonment against all four suspects. They have always denied the charges.

Kuut (30), from Enschede and also a member of the “tattoo killers,” was killed with a knife on March 16, 2009. Before his death, he had been tortured, and his throat was slit. The police found Kuut’s body buried in the dunes near Hoek van Holland on March 25, 2009, following a tip from hikers.

The court considered it clear that the murder took place within the criminal underworld, but said that questions regarding the time, location, murder weapon, motive, and persons involved remained unanswered despite extensive investigation. “Further investigation on appeal has yielded no further results,” the court said.

The court deemed several witness statements that were important to the prosecution’s arguments “internally contradictory on key points and insufficiently reliable” to be used as evidence. The information is based on hearsay, and the source of the statement declined to provide further explanation.

The men were also accused of disposing of the victim’s body. The court considers it proven that Brian P. acted as a lookout during this, but the statute of limitations has since expired on this charge.