Lawyer Derk Wiersum shot dead. Counsel to key witness Nabil B.

Derk Wiersum, a 44-year-old criminal defence lawyer from Amsterdam, was shot dead on the morning of Wednesday, 18 September 2019, outside his home in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert. At the time, Wiersum was representing Nabil B., the key witness in the major Marengo trial against the criminal organisation around Ridouan Taghi. The killing happened shortly after Wiersum had got into his car to leave for work. The gunman approached the driver’s door, after which, according to the court, a short exchange of words took place. Wiersum got out of the car and was then shot at close range. He was hit by six bullets and died at the scene from his injuries. The shooter and an accomplice then fled in a waiting car. The murder caused a major public shock in the Netherlands, because the victim was not only a lawyer but also directly involved in a key witness case linked to organised crime. The investigation was given the name Pulheim. The two main suspects were Giërmo B. from Almere and Moreno B. from Rotterdam. According to both the Amsterdam District Court and later the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, they had prepared and carried out the murder together. The evidence included DNA traces found in stolen cars used during reconnaissance and the killing itself, phone data showing that their devices were near Wiersum’s home at crucial moments, and the use of prepaid phones that became active shortly before the murder and were not used again afterwards. The exact division of roles was never fully established beyond doubt, but according to the Public Prosecution Service, Moreno B. appeared to have been the shooter and Giërmo B. the driver of the getaway car. The court considered the precise role division less important, because both men had worked closely together in preparing and carrying out the plan. The Public Prosecution Service demanded life sentences, but on 11 October 2021 the Amsterdam District Court sentenced both Giërmo B. and Moreno B. to 30 years in prison for jointly committing murder. On appeal, prosecutors again demanded life imprisonment, but on 23 February 2023 the Amsterdam Court of Appeal again sentenced both men to 30 years in prison. The court of appeal ruled that the killing was a contract murder carried out with cold-blooded and professional preparation. The case later went to the Supreme Court, which on 16 April 2024 upheld the convictions and the 30-year prison sentences, making the sentences against Giërmo B. and Moreno B. final. The person or people who ordered the murder of Derk Wiersum were not established in this criminal case.