The very old Jan van B. (90), suspected of the murder of his 84-year-old wife, walked into court this morning with his walker: “I am a bit deaf,” the man told members of the press. Today was the first day of hearing in the criminal trial against Van B., who allegedly stabbed his wife to death. He then allegedly set fire to their home on Van Speijkstraat in West.
“Things aren’t going so well: I don’t eat anymore and I don’t sleep anymore,” the very old Jan van B. answered a question from the judge about how he is doing. The man has been held in a special department of the prison in Vught since his arrest in January. The man was wearing a hearing aid this morning and seemed quite confused.
Jehova witness
Van B. is suspected of stabbing his wife to death at the beginning of this year, after which he is said to have set a fire in their home on Van Speijkstraat. “That is not true, I did not touch my wife, she killed herself. She had a knife in her hands and shouted ‘Oh Jehovah, help me, help me’. After that I heard nothing more,” said the man.
A fire
After the public prosecutor said that the man is also accused of setting the house on fire, Van B. responded that he is not guilty of that either. “I had to look for my shoes with a match, a fire. That’s what happened.”
In connection with the investigation, a psychiatrist and psychologist have already visited the man in Vught. He is being examined because of suspected dementia. The substantive hearing of the case will probably take place in the first week of September, with a second so-called pro-forma scheduled for June 27.
By that time the man had turned 91, which is why he asked if this trial could not end: “Can it not be that I am acquitted? Because I can never keep this up. I have it on my heart, on my my lungs, my eyes, my ears, my legs. I lose weight every day, because what I eat is all foreign and I can’t stand it. I only eat bread maybe only 78 kilos.”
The children of the 90-year-old have stated through Victim Support that they do not want to be part of the procedure at this time.
