On March 25, 2011, a robbery takes place at a Turkish store in Hoogezand. During the flight, the owner of the store is shot. Several witnesses identified one of the suspects as the perpetrator and his DNA was found on a piece of clothing allegedly left on the escape route. The prosecutor demanded 7 years in prison against him.
The Groningen court, despite the strong evidence in the case file, agreed with Maastricht criminal lawyer Serge Weening who argued his client's innocence in an ardent plea. There was room for other perpetrators, in the court's view.
Although the prosecutor demanded another heavy prison sentence in the case during the hearing on Friday, Dec. 13, the prosecution did not appeal the ruling. Weening indicated that he will file a claim for damages for the time his client was unjustly detained.
