PHILIPSBURG--Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST Detective A.R.S.V.H. (31) stood trial in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday, charged with domestic violence against two former girlfriends.

 

The police officer was charged with the “systematical” infliction of severe bodily harm and mistreatment. For these crimes, the Prosecutor’s Office called for 12 months suspended, with three years’ probation and Parole Board supervision, mandatory treatment at Turning Point rehabilitation centre, payment of NAf. 10,000 in damages and 180 hours of community service. The officer has been suspended from his job since March 2014.

 

One of the women was the girlfriend of the late Eric Lake, who was shot and killed at Cat’s Shopping Centre on A.Th. Illidge Road on August 17, 2011. Lake was one of the victims in the so-called Vesuvius case concerning the spree of violence that followed the death of Amador Jones, who was killed on April 16, 2011, in retaliation for a “rip” deal.

 

Detective H. became acquainted with the late Lake’s girlfriend in January 2012 in connection with the investigations and started a relationship against his superiors’ advice to make an end to it. Despite a long list of violent incidents that were reported to the Prosecutor’s Office, H. claimed he was not a violent man and had never slapped her or any other woman with whom he had been in a relationship between December 2008 and July 2009.

 

In one of the cases, however, Lake’s ex claimed a perforated eardrum after he had dealt her a blow to her head. In another incident, he allegedly slammed the woman’s head against the windshield and dashboard of his police vehicle.

 

“I feel that my character is being assassinated,” the defendant said in response to the allegations.

 

Prosecutor Maarten Noordzij said the case filed was filled with statements about the suspect’s violent and aggressive behaviour. The Judge quoted an investigating psychologist in stating that the suspect had no “self-understanding.”

 

The defendant said he wanted to return to his job and said he had been in a new relationship for two years without any violent incidents.

 

Attorney Melinda Hoeve filed for damages to the tune of NAf. 10,000 on behalf of one of the victims. In presenting her pleadings, which echoed the Prosecutor’s closing speech, Hoeve said her client had been threatened and mistreated systematically, and had been confronted with lewd images posted by the suspect in the social media.

 

Prosecutor Noordzij said one of the victims had left St. Maarten, as she no longer had wanted to live on the same island as H.

 

“He is not the person to say ‘no’ to. He does not stop until he gets what he wants. He is jealous and his jealousy always ends in violence,” the Prosecutor said. In describing the suspect’s character, Noordzij said he had a narcissistic personality and great difficulties with the regulation of his aggression.

 

Attorney-at-law Cor Merx presented several preliminary pleadings which, in his eyes, should lead to the Court declaring the Prosecutor’s Office case against his client inadmissible.

 

Merx claimed his client had been “framed” by his former partners. He said there was little evidence of any wrongdoings and pleaded for his client’s acquittal. He contested the severity of mistreatment and said the damaged eardrum had not been caused by H., but by a basketball.

 

Merx contested the findings in the psychological reports on his client’s state of mind and said the damages claim should be rejected, as this was too complicated to be dealt with in a criminal case.

 

The embattled detective will learn his fate on December 16, when the Court is scheduled to present its decision in this case.

 

The Daily Herald