Piet van Pareen (76) killed during a robbery at his home on Pomonastraat

Yasmina S. (47) came round daily to 76-year-old Piet van Pareen's flat on Pomonastraat in Amsterdam-Noord to use cocaine. She told her son Bruce D. (21) that there was money to be had at the home of the man, who lived alone. On Wednesday 9 January 2013 Bruce and his friend Brian S. (23) rang the bell posing as parcel couriers. According to the court the plan was to rob Van Pareen as quietly and with as little violence as possible, but it went wrong the moment the front door opened. Van Pareen fell when he was pushed, resisted fiercely, and was struck on the head with a crowbar they had brought. Forensic examination showed that this blow did not contribute to his death. What killed him was what followed: his hands, feet and mouth were bound and taped shut, with only his nose left clear. The two searched the flat, found no money, noticed their victim was in trouble, laid him on his side with a cushion under his head, pulled the tape from his mouth and left in a hurry. Van Pareen did not survive. On 5 December 2013 the Amsterdam court sentenced all three — the two robbers and the woman who had tipped them off — to eight years each.