The former Belgian paratrooper Yahya D. and his accomplice Simon J. have been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Antwerp District Court on Thursday for attempted murder during a shooting in Boom.
During the closing arguments on 16 July, Yahya D. was not present in court. According to his lawyer, this was mainly due to "the threats and media attention".
Yahya D., a former paratrooper, had previously appeared on the TV programme ‘Klopjacht’ on Play. In the Belgian version of the programme, based on the British format Hunted, people try to evade detection by investigators.
Last week, the Public Prosecutor’s Office sought an eight-year prison sentence for Simon J. and the former paratrooper.
The court has now agreed to this, although it remains unclear whether a third person was present at the time of the offences.
Yahya D.’s lawyer had previously argued that he was merely driving the getaway car. Simon J.’s lawyer contended that his client was simply keeping watch.
No one could or dared to say anything about a possible third person involved.
Simon J. did not wish to make any statements on the matter, as his family would then be "at risk". The young man did, however, admit last week that he was involved in the shooting.
"But I was only there to keep watch," he said. "And I wasn’t in the white van (which Yahya D. was driving, ed.)."
Simon J. said that, in the summer of 2024, he ran away immediately upon hearing the shots. Those shots were fired at a certain Ali T. from Boom, a man who had previously been convicted of drug offences.
Yahya D. and Simon J. are said to have first "attempted to kidnap" Ali T. before the shots were fired, but the court does not accept that version of events.
After the incident, Simon J. threw away the latex gloves that he "was told to wear by the client". Investigators later recovered the gloves, on which the young man’s DNA was found. However, no gunpowder residue was detected.
The victim’s T-shirt was completely soaked in blood after he was shot in the chest. The bullet passed right through his body.
After the incident, the police were able to track down and pursue a white van that had been used during the shooting.
On board was Yahya D., who had also paid for the number plates.
Analysis of gunpowder residue indicated that Yahya D. must have been “close to the scene of the incident”.
The expert did not conclude that he was actually carrying the weapon or that he fired it. His lawyer pointed out on several occasions last week that his client was acting under duress.
However, reports contradict this and also highlight the fact that Yahya D. was initially still seeking financial gain.
According to the court, it was purely by chance that Ali T. did not die as a result of the shot.
The judges consider the attempted murder to have been clearly proven because a weapon was used and because Ali T. was seriously injured. This indicates a degree of premeditation.
It remains unclear, even to the court, who fired the shot and whether or not a third person was involved in the incident.
