Millionaire property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten has won an appeal against his conviction for manslaughter. The Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial.
In July 1999, two hit men, David Croke and Robert Knapp, shot and stabbed to death Mohammed Raja, who had been attempting to sue van Hoogstraten for fraud. Croke and Knapp were both sentenced to life for murder, and, although van Hoogstraten was cleared of murder in October 2002, he was jailed for 10 years for a conviction of manslaughter.
The appeal judges have held that a retrial is necessary, but have refused bail. The judges have also ordered that the reasons for their decision should not be published until the retrial has taken place.
Appeal of van Hoogstraten Court of Appeal (Rose LJ and McCombe and Cox JJ) 23 July 2003.
References: PLS News 25/7/03
