The killer who fatally slashed and stabbed a British tourist dozens of times in the face and neck in Amsterdam has been jailed.
The 24-year-old man accused of the 2022 stabbing of Danny Castledine was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday.
Belgian suspect Nongo B. unleashed an “extreme outbreak of violence” when he attacked Castledine and left him to die in a dark stairwell in the city center, the Amsterdam District Court said, according to Holland Times.
‘The suspect took the life of the (victim), who was spending an afternoon as a tourist in the city center of Amsterdam, in a very violent manner, frequently stabbing him with a knife, or at least with a sharp object. (The victim) suffered a total of 30 stab wounds and 13 slash wounds, mainly to the head and neck,’ the court ruled.
‘After this extreme outburst of violence, the suspect dragged (the victim) to a staircase leading to a basement and left him there for dead, with his head down and bleeding profusely, without calling for help.’
Danny Castledine, a 22-year-old student at Leeds Beckett University, died following the incident in Amsterdam on June 1, 2022.
Belgian suspect Nongo B. went on an “extreme outburst of violence” when he slashed and stabbed Castledine dozens of times, and left him to meet his death in a dark stairwell in the city centre, Amsterdam District Court said , according to a report
Canal Singel in Amsterdam, where Nongo B was allegedly captured on security footage walking with Castledine moments before his death. Leeds Beckett University student Castledine met a tragic end less than 24 hours after arriving on a weekend trip with his friend to the popular European destination.
The sentence coincided with the verdict recommended by the Public Ministry (OM).
Leeds Beckett University student Castledine met a tragic end on June 1, 2022, less than 24 hours after arriving on a weekend trip with his friend to the popular European destination.
He and his friend had separated in the evening, the NL Times reports.
The Nottinghamshire student was found with 30 stab wounds and 14 lacerations after suffering a violent attack in the early hours of the morning.
Dutch prosecutors had pushed for a harsh sentence for suspect Nongo B., who was allegedly captured on security footage walking with Castledine along the banks of the Singel Canal moments before his death.
Castledine’s body was discovered by horrified revelers at around 3.30am, prosecutors said.
The paramedics went to the scene but could not revive the Englishman.
About ten hours later, police found Nongo B. about five kilometers away, in Amsterdam-Zuid, near the intersection of De Boelelaan and Parnassussweg, the publication reported.
He was detained because he did not have the necessary identification.
Police said at the time that he appeared to be disturbed and had consumed a large amount of drugs, according to the publication.
They also found “traces of blood on his clothes and shoes,” the OM said during the trial. The blood was later compared to that of Castledine.
During the investigation, police found security footage from 2.12 a.m. on June 1 that showed Nongo B. and the victim walking together, and the suspect appeared to be sober, the NL Times reported.
But images from another location about half an hour later showed something different.
‘The images don’t show anything special, but it would prove to be a fatal encounter. In Singel, the man attacked the victim out of nowhere. “After a brief chase, the victim was stabbed 30 times and cut 14 times, mainly on the head and neck,” the OM said.
After his death, Castledine was described by his devastated family as a travel enthusiast who had explored 23 countries in his lifetime. They remembered Danny’s passion for vacations, music festivals and fashion.
Singel Canal in Amsterdam. Castledine’s body was discovered by horrified revelers at around 3.30am, prosecutors said.
One of the stab wounds severed Castledine’s right carotid artery, causing severe blood loss.
“He dragged the body from the road to the roadside and tried to get rid of the bloody clothes,” the OM said.
Nongo B.’s lawyer had filed a case for acquittal, arguing that images taken near the scene of the incident were not clear enough to identify the suspect, according to the publication.
The defense lawyer said that only two shadows were visible, one larger than the other, and that at no time was the image clear enough to distinguish Nongo B.
The court agreed that Nongo B. was not clearly seen in the video of the two walking together near the scene of the incident, but said that in the footage of the stabbing itself, he was clearly seen in the video of the scene minutes later, the NL reported. the Times reported.
There were no other bystanders captured in the footage until Castledine’s body was discovered.
A bloody shoe print found at the scene also closely matched the soles of the suspect’s shoes.
“By this act, the suspect was guilty of one of the most serious crimes provided for in the Penal Code and caused irreparable suffering to the surviving family members,” the court stated.
He also highlighted statements from the victim’s parents and his sister.
The court said Nongo B. caused them “a great void and unfathomable suffering and grief.”
He added: “They have to live knowing that their son and brother, who was in the prime of his life, were murdered in a very violent way.”
The court also said that the two met by chance, were in a good mood and that Nongo B.’s attempt to attack the victim occurred “suddenly and for no visible reason.”
Experts concluded that Nongo B. was addicted to cannabis, oxycodone and hallucinogenic bezodiazepines, the publication reported.
But they said he did not appear to have any mental disorders other than his addictions.
Experts said it was unclear whether substance use influenced Nongo B.’s behavior, and it was also unclear whether his addiction motivated the attack in any way.
According to the publication, this was a factor in the court’s decision not to commit him to a psychiatric facility.
Nongo B. was also ordered to pay compensation of more than €71,000 (£61,000), including €20,000 (£17,000) each to Castledine’s mother and father, and €17,500 (£15,000) to his sister for emotional suffering.
He must also pay the family a further €13,800 (£12,000) towards the costs of repatriating the victim’s body and his funeral.
Heartfelt tributes poured in to Castledine in the weeks and months following his death..
The student, who was in his final year at Leeds Beckett University at the time of his death, was described by his devastated family as a travel enthusiast who had explored 23 countries in his life.
They remembered Danny’s passion for vacations, music festivals and fashion.
‘Danny had a long list of places he wanted to visit in the future. One of them went to the Bahamas to swim with pigs. “His ambition was to work and promote music festivals as a career and probably live abroad,” a statement said.
‘When he returned home to Mansfield, he would go out with his school friends and do shifts at McDonald’s to fund his extravagant lifestyle.
“He also had a great passion for fashion and didn’t mind spending large amounts on designer items, from T-shirts to sneakers.”
TO fundraising page Created by Danny’s ex-girlfriend Ashleigh Hufton, it aimed to raise awareness of the devastating impact of knife crime and provide funds to support victims.
The initial target of £2,400 was surpassed in just four hours, prompting Hufton to increase the target to £15,000.
The total raised currently stands at £14,820.