A jury at the trial of Jurgen Demesmaeker has found him guilty of murdering the former Mayor of the East Flemish city of Aalst Ilse Uyttersprot. He and Ms Uyttersprot were in a relationship at the time that Jurgen Demesmaeker killed her. A after two hours of deliberation the jury found him guilty as charged on Monday evening. He was sentenced to 30 year's imprisonment early on Tuesday afternoon.
Former Mayor of Aalst’s lover sentenced to 30 years for her murder
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Jurgen Demesmaeker killed his then partner on the morning of August 2020 by hitting her 4 times on the head with a hammer. The jury concluded that Ms Uyttersprot was killed with malice of forethought and as such her killing was murder. This view had been expressed by the Public Prosecutor and barristers representing Ms Uyttersprot’s relatives.
Jurgen Demesmaeker’s barrister told the court that their client had killed his then lover in an outburst of rage and as such Ms Uyttersprot’s death was manslaughter.
“Not an impulsive act”
The jury said that it was out of the question that Jurgen Demesmaeker had acted on impulse.
"The victim was sleeping; she could not have provided any motive for an act stemming from rage”. Furthermore, the court said that the accused had spent enough time preparing what he did for it not to classed as having been done on impulse.
"Jurgen Demesmaeker first had to open the toolbox, remove the partition in order to then take the hamer out. He then had to pick the hammer up and return to the place where Ms Uytterspot was still sleeping. He killed her will 6 aimed blows to the head”, the presiding judge told the court when reading the verdict.
Having already been found guilty of murder Jurgen Demesmaeker was sentenced 30 years' in prison on Tuesday.