Willem Holleeder, the Netherlands’ most notorious gangster, has been found guilty of ordering a series of murders of figures in the world of organised crime.<\/p>\n
Holleeder, now 61, achieved notoriety in the 1980s for the kidnapping of beer tycoon Freddy Heineken.<\/p>\n
He then became a big crime boss and has been convicted after a lengthy and expensive trial in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n
Among his victims was friend and associate Cor van Hout.<\/p>\n
The judges convicted Holleeder of ordering five murders and one manslaughter and sentenced him to a full life sentence in jail.<\/p>\n
They also found that he had formed a crime gang and ordered “cold-blooded” killings with jailed associate Dino Soerel and since-murdered criminal Stanley Hillis.<\/p>\n
The longest murder trial in Dutch history took place in a high-security Amsterdam court known as the “bunker”. Holleeder’s lawyers have said he will appeal.<\/p>\n
The prosecution case relied on the sensational testimony of his sister, Astrid, who made secret recordings of their conversations.<\/p>\n
Astrid Holleeder went into hiding when she revealed her betrayal. Van Hout was married to Holleeder’s sister Sonja, and she too gave evidence against him.<\/p>\n
Willem Holleeder always insisted he was innocent and claimed his sisters’ evidence was untrue.<\/p>\n
The judges ruled on Thursday that their evidence, along with testimony from ex-girlfriend Sandra den Hartog and others, was reliable and “made an important contribution to proving that Holleeder had indeed committed” the acts he was accused of.<\/p>\n
“Something had to happen to stop him,” Astrid Holleeder told the BBC last year.<\/p>\n
Her story became a bestseller, but her decision to give evidence brought an end to her career as a defence lawyer and forced her to live in safe houses and wear elaborate disguises.<\/p>\n
“I know he wants to kill me and I don’t blame him for it. In a day there are many moments someone can be there and shoot you. It’s always there. I really feel a Judas. I betrayed him.”<\/p>\n
The kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken at gunpoint in 1983 made international headlines, and the story was eventually turned into two films. The first, in Dutch, featured Rutger Hauer; the second, Kidnapping Mr Heineken, starred Anthony Hopkins.<\/p>\n
It was staged by a gang, including Holleeder and Van Hout, who held Heineken for three weeks before a ransom was paid.<\/p>\n
Holleeder eventually went to jail. However, Astrid Holleeder said her brother never learned from his crimes. “As a mere villain, I’d still welcome him. But crimes of killing, that crosses a red line for me.”<\/p>\n
By BBC Hague correspondent Anna Holligan<\/strong><\/p>\n Applause erupted among the victims’ families as the guilty verdict was read out. Holleeder was described in court as a man of many faces, unscrupulous with a high risk of reoffending.<\/p>\n Once considered untouchable, the most notorious Dutch gangster will spend the rest of his life behind bars, thanks primarily to vital witness testimony provided by three women.<\/p>\n His sisters and former partner risked their lives to collect and share incriminating evidence – including taped conversations – that proved Holleeder was guilty of killing rivals and former friends.<\/p>\n Nicknamed ‘The Nose’ on account of his most prominent feature, previous jail time didn’t turn Holleeder into a public pariah. On the contrary, he was often called a “cuddly criminal”, even appearing on a popular talk show and posing for selfies on the streets.<\/p>\n As relatives celebrated, the man responsible for their suffering scowled.<\/p>\n Holleeder still exerts influence within the criminal underworld, a number of the killings were ordered from his jail cell.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"