Netherlands: Terror Proceedings Against Gökmen T. (Accused Murderer of Four in Utrecht)

Hat tip Dagelijkse Standaard and NRC Nieuws (NL)


The accused terrorist identified only as Gökmen  T. (We believe his last name is Tanis.) is on trial in the Netherlands accused of killing four people and wounding several others during an attack at a tram stop in Utrecht last March.  As he appeared in court, Gökmen T. was disruptive, gave the finger to onlookers, and spit on his defense attorney.

The below article from NRC.NL  is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/03/02/gokmen-t-aanwezig-bij-eerste-zittingsdag-tramaanslag-a3992313

Gökmen  T. back in court after suspension for spitting on lawyer

Shooting: Terror suspect T. was compelled to attend the trial against him. In an earlier hearing, he resisted so strongly that that in the end, he was not present.


Below picture caption

Attorney Sebas Diekstra at the court with the father (2nd from left) of one of the victims of the shooting in a tram in Utrecht.



Gökmen T. the man who has confessed to having shot dead four people in a tram in Utrecht and wounding six others, was temporarily removed from the court on Monday afternoon after he spit on his own lawyer. The court decided to bring him back when it became clear that the victims and relatives wanted him to be present when  they describe their grief.

Earlier in the day, T. had raised his middle finger to the court and refused to answer questions from the chief judge. He sat handcuffed and grimacing between 5 policemen. The spitting incident happened after T.'s lawyer ask the chief judge of the court to speak more slowly and "to discuss the matters at the level of my client". The chief judge then had T. removed "because the lower level was reached".

T. was assigned the lawyer in December after he had earlier refused. He thought that he could defend himself, (but) the court considered him to be incapable. He was also was compelled to attend the proceedings. At a pro-forma hearing in December, he resisted so strongly that he was in the end absent. According to the chief judge of the courtroom, too much violence and force would be needed to get him to the courtroom.

Video Reconstruction

From a video reconstruction that the police made, it was shown Monday that T. shot several passengers and shot them from up close during the attack. And he also shot at stationary motorists at the intersection at October 24 Square.  He shot a motorist through a windshield  who later died from his wounds. From the reconstruction it was revealed that T. during his flight, shot out of the window of the car. Here no one was injured.  At the showing of the very moving video reconstruction of the shooting incident, Gökmen T. looked straight ahead stoically.

On 18 March 2019, 17 passengers were sitting in the tram. T. is charged with murder and manslaughter of several persons with a terrorist purpose and for terroristic threats. Four hearing days are set aside for the case.

*Correction (2 March 2020): In an earlier version of this article, it was  stated that four persons sustained wounds. That is not the case because 6 people were wounded. This has since been corrected.