Freed TWICE to kill
Artist was murdered by violent addict who was allowed out on bail
‘SNP jeopardising safety of public’
A HOMELESS man murdered an artist while on bail – granted twice despite him admitting violent crimes.
John Styles stabbed Jeroen Van Neijhof 19 times and smashed his victim’s face so badly that he could only be identified by DNA.
In the weeks before, he had been freed on bail twice – after he admitted assault and robbery at knifepoint, and separately to having a cosh and heroin.
Styles, 21, attacked Mr Van Neijhof, 38, because his victim did not have heroin. He later told a former girlfriend he had ‘danced all over his head’.
At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, judge Lady Carmichael said it was an ‘extremely brutal’ killing and ‘a particularly tragic and appalling example’ of the harms of illegal drugs.
She sentenced Styles to serve a minimum term of 15 years in jail – telling him it would have been 18 years but for his guilty plea.
Last night, Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr called for an ‘urgent’ review of sentencing procedures.
He said: ‘This is yet another tragic waste of two lives due to drug abuse and violence.
‘Yet again, this shows how the SNP’s soft-touch approach is jeopardising the safety of the Scottish public.
‘The SNP must review parole and sentencing procedures as a matter of urgency.’
Homeless, unemployed Styles – who funded his drug habit by begging – admitted murdering Mr Van Neijhof on May 23 at the victim’s home in Dundee.
He repeatedly struck and kicked him on the head and body, hit him with an ornament and stabbed him.
In the weeks leading up to the killing, he had pleaded guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to assault and robbery with a knife, committed on May 23 last year.
He had also admitted possessing heroin and a cosh, having them on April 29 of this year.
Styles was awaiting sentence for these crimes when he killed Mr Van Neijhof. He was subsequently jailed for 28 months for the robbery and two months for having the cosh. Mr Van Neijhof, who painted wildlife, moved to Scotland five years ago and worked as a hotel housekeeper. He was a habitual drug user.
About a month before the murder, Styles told a friend that while begging in Dundee he had been befriended by a Dutchman and had gone to his home, where he was given ketamine and a substance smoked in a crack pipe.
On the day of the killing, Styles left a friend’s home to go out begging, saying he was suffering withdrawal symptoms.
He was at his regular begging spot when he saw Mr Van Neijhof and they went to the artist’s home, where they took ketamine and ecstasy.
Advocate depute Jo McDonald told the court: ‘The accused became angry with the deceased in a dispute over a lack of available heroin. The accused then subjected the deceased to a brutal assault.’
After the murder, Styles visited a friend, who saw he had blood on his hands. He told her: ‘You don’t want to know what I’ve done to him.’
Mark Stewart, QC, defending, said: ‘There’s no real explanation as to how this matter took the turn it did.’