Nottinghamshire-born Robert Dawes has been sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of an innocent schoolteacher, Gerard Meesters, in the Netherlands in 2002. Dawes, who had risen from a petty criminal to an international drug kingpin, was convicted of “inciting murder” after being identified as the mastermind behind the killing.
Meesters, 52, was shot dead at his home in Groningen, a crime that was originally linked to suspicions that his estranged sister had hidden money or drugs. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) North Netherlands referred to Dawes as the “intellectual mastermind” behind the tragic event. They emphasized that Meesters had no connection to Dawes’ criminal activities and that he was murdered solely to instill fear in others within the criminal world.
The investigation into the murder had been reopened in 2017, 15 years after the original conviction of Daniel Sowerby, a member of Dawes’ criminal organization who was sentenced to life for shooting Meesters. At the time, prosecutors had suspected Dawes’ involvement, but no charges were brought until further investigation revealed his role.
The timeline of events leading up to the murder began on November 24, 2002, when five men visited Meesters’ home and threatened him to call a Spanish number, demanding he report the whereabouts of his sister. Meesters complied, although he had no knowledge of where she was. A few days later, two men returned, and one shot Meesters dead.
Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement, the case remained unresolved until 2017 when further investigative work pointed to Dawes as the orchestrator of the murder. In 2015, Dawes was arrested in Spain for trafficking 1.3 tonnes of cocaine into Europe, and it was during this time that the authorities discovered more links to the 2002 murder.
The trial and conviction were made possible in part due to the persistent efforts of Meesters’ children, whose determination to see justice done led to Dawes’ trial in the Netherlands. The case stands as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of Dawes’ criminal empire, which continued to cause harm long after the initial murder.
The conviction has brought closure to Meesters’ family, although the toll of the years-long investigation was evident. “It’s fair to say that, without the relentless urging of Gerard Meesters’ children, this case against the suspect likely would not have come to court,” the OM added.