Two suspects in the murder of Paul Parker, a Liverpool gangster shot dead in the Netherlands on June 1, have been moved to protective custody following reports of an assassination threat. The suspects, identified as René S., 65, and John S., 44, were placed in solitary confinement and required to have visitors in a separate room.
Parker, 52, died in Heerhugowaard after being shot during a confrontation where he allegedly entered a premises armed with a knife to collect a debt. The full surnames of the suspects have not been disclosed due to Dutch privacy laws.
The reports of a threat emerged while the two men were being treated in hospital for serious injuries sustained during the fight with Parker. John S.'s lawyer, Michel de Klerk, stated that his client's family and he himself had also been threatened. Dutch law enforcement later informed the lawyers that the threat was no longer considered active, a development De Klerk described as implausible and lacking explanation.
Parker himself was a suspect in the 2017 murders of Pieter Hoovers, 54, and his wife Tae Kawepanya, 32, in Amsterdam. Police had previously released CCTV footage of a British suspect and offered a reward for information, later identifying Parker. A photograph shows Parker with Hoovers, suggesting a past acquaintance. Hoovers, who had martial arts training, founded the record label Outland Records before relocating to Thailand.
Parker had a criminal history in the UK, including a five-year jail sentence in 1993 for his role in the stabbing death of a teenager during a botched drug deal. An inquest into Parker's death in the UK was opened and adjourned pending the outcome of the Dutch investigation. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it was supporting the family of the British man who died in the Netherlands.