Stein - With any luck, police and justice have managed to prevent the next patriotic fireworks disaster. So says the prosecutor prosecuting Robin O. (30) for possession of at least 2,400 cobras.

The suspect appeared in court in Maastricht on Tuesday. Lawyer Francoise Landerloo asked that her client's remand be suspended, which would mean that he would be released conditionally. The prosecutor resisted, pointing to the staggering number of cobras found in a shed at the defendant's family home in Stein. "If a spark had been added to this, you might have had the Limburg fireworks disaster. Thousands, thousands of victims."

Attorney Landerloo, however, pointed to her client's blank criminal record. "Some people need to take a hit, face reality and then have the chance to prove themselves again," she said. According to Landerloo, her client has woken up. "In retrospect, he has realized the dangers he created for his family, for neighbors."

The judge decided to send Robin O. home with conditions. June 18 is his trial.