A court sentenced a man and a woman to 22 years in prison for the murder of Daan Mellée in Enschede. The court found that the pair planned and executed the murder “ruthlessly and cold-bloodedly.” A third suspect was acquitted.
The female convict is 38-year-old Debbie G., the victim’s partner at the time. The other main suspect, Daniël V. (41), was G.’s friend.
Mellée, 26, was found dead in G.’s home in July 2018, where he lived with her. He had been shot multiple times at close range.
According to the court, there is sufficient evidence that G. ordered the murder and V. pulled the trigger. DNA from G. was found on shell casings at the scene, and V.’s DNA was also identified on another casing.
The judges determined the murder was an act of revenge, following an altercation during which Mellée allegedly assaulted G. She reportedly mentioned knowing two friends willing to kill Mellée. G. enlisted V.’s help, who then shot Mellée in his bed.
“The defendants took the law into their own hands, which cannot and will not be tolerated,” stated the court. The sentences exceeded the 19 years initially requested by the prosecution, as the judges considered the pair’s denial of involvement and lack of accountability.
Furthermore, the court criticized their failure to provide information, leaving the victim’s family with unresolved questions. The third suspect, a 43-year-old man who faced nine years for complicity, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and lack of knowledge about G. and V.’s intentions to kill Mellée.
Source: NOS