Intervened over fake watch

The 24-year-old Bas van Wijk from Badhoevedorp was shot dead on 8 August 2020 at the De Oeverlanden recreation area by the Nieuwe Meer in Amsterdam. He was there with friends on a recreational jetty when irritation arose between his group and another group, which included the then 20-year-old Samir el Y. According to the Court of Appeal, Samir el Y. walked over to Bas van Wijk’s group, pulled a pistol from the pocket of his swimming shorts and demanded that one of Bas’s friends hand over his watch. When the friend refused, Samir el Y. loaded the pistol and fired near the knee of a second boy. Bas van Wijk then confronted him and tried to intervene, after which Samir el Y. shot him twice: once in the left leg and once in the upper body. Bas van Wijk later died in hospital from his injuries. The firearm, ammunition and the watch were later found in the car used by Samir el Y. In the first-instance trial, the court sentenced Samir el Y. to 9 years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment for manslaughter, but because of a procedural error in the indictment, the court did not assess the more serious charge of aggravated manslaughter. The Public Prosecution Service appealed and demanded 16 years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment. On 26 May 2023, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled that the offence did amount to aggravated manslaughter, because the killing was connected to obtaining the watch. The court sentenced Samir el Y. to 11 years and 6 months in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment. The court considered 12 years appropriate, but reduced the sentence because the appeal proceedings had taken too long. The court also found that Samir el Y. had diminished responsibility.