WILLEMSTAD – The Public Prosecution Service (OM) on Curaçao on Thursday asked the Joint Court of Justice to uphold a 26-year prison sentence against 21-year-old Amon F., who was convicted last year of two murders, including the fatal shooting of Dutch Royal Marechaussee officer Toon Brood.
The appeal hearing was held after Amon F. challenged the sentence imposed by the Court of First Instance, arguing that the 26-year prison term was excessive.
During the proceedings, the defendant told the court the sentence was "longer than my age" and asked to be tried under juvenile criminal law. Prosecutors rejected that request, maintaining there are no legal grounds to apply juvenile sentencing in the case.
The defendant was convicted for his role in the fatal shooting of Brood during a home invasion on May 31, 2024. He was also found guilty of murdering 25-year-old Tahir Jansen nine months earlier following a dispute over stolen vape products.
In the original trial, prosecutors had sought a 28-year prison sentence for both murders before the court ultimately imposed a 26-year sentence.
Three other men were also convicted in connection with the murder of Brood, but Amon F. is the only defendant who appealed the verdict.
During Thursday's hearing, prosecutors argued that the defendant continues to withhold information about both crimes and has attempted to minimize his role throughout the judicial process.
According to the OM, surveillance footage showed Amon F. and another suspect jumping into Brood's garden shortly before midnight while armed and wearing masks.
Although the defendant admitted being inside the house, he denied firing the fatal shots or participating in threatening Brood's wife and searching the residence for valuables after the shooting. Investigators previously stated that the suspects searched several rooms, including the bedroom where the couple's teenage son was asleep.
"I was inside the house, but I didn't do much," Amon F. told the court. "What happened to the gentleman was never my intention. I want to apologize for that."
In the second murder case involving Tahir Jansen, the defendant denied any involvement, claiming witnesses had falsely implicated him. However, prosecutors pointed to multiple witness statements identifying him as the shooter.
Psychological and psychiatric evaluations presented during the proceedings concluded that Amon F. does not suffer from any major mental disorder but does display antisocial personality traits and has difficulty forming relationships with others.
Widow Sonja Brood attended the hearing, accompanied by several former colleagues of her late husband, many of whom were dressed in Royal Marechaussee uniforms.
During his final statement before the court, Amon F. once again apologized directly to Sonja Brood.
The Joint Court of Justice is expected to deliver its ruling on July 16.