Dutch courts rule on separate arson incidents

Two separate legal proceedings in the Netherlands have addressed incidents of arson.

In Heesch, a court in Den Bosch sentenced 34-year-old Lucas den D. to four years in prison for setting fire to six cars, a trailer, and a mailbox. The incident occurred on April 3 while the defendant was under the influence of alcohol and sleeping pills. After a car accident, the man fled on foot and ignited multiple vehicles and property. DNA evidence found on a lighter linked him to the crimes.

In Dordrecht, a 25-year-old suspect remains in custody following an attempted arson at an OK gas station in July. The defendant, a Spanish-Moroccan migrant with schizophrenia, is accused of spraying gasoline and using a lighter. While the defense argued the act did not constitute an attempt to commit arson, the court ordered further testimony from a witness—a cashier who claims to have seen the suspect ignite a piece of paper before throwing it into a gasoline puddle—and requested an advisory report from probation services.