Nothingtodo
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2010
- Messages
- 357
A Belgian skydiver is accused of sabotaging another woman's parachute causing her to plummet to her death after apparently growing jealous that they were both having a relationship with the same man.The Daily Telegraph reports that 25-year-old Els "Babs" Clottermans is on trial for the murder of another skydiver, 37-year-old Els Van Doran who fell to her death in November 2006.
On that Sunday afternoon, both women and the man, 25-year-old Marcel "Mars" Somers went on their regular weekend skydiving trip at the Zwartberg airport. The three jumpers would usually hold hands to make a star formation before opening their parachutes but Clottermans apparently remained in the plane to watch Doran struggle with her chute.
A video camera attached to Doran's helmet showed that there were problems with her main chute, as well as her back-up one. Somers watched as Doran plunge 4,500 metres to her death into a garden in the town of Opaglabeek.
Detectives later determined that both parachutes have been deliberately tampered with.
Court psychiatrists declared Clottermans to be a "psychopath" and "a danger to society" after she tried to commit suicide hours before she was to make a second statement to police. She was charged and incarcerated in January 2007 but was released on bail a year later. Her trial began on Friday and is expected to last a month.
Clottermans' lawyer denies the charges and said, "My client has evolved since her release in January 2008 and does not behave like a psychopath. She started working as a teacher."
On that Sunday afternoon, both women and the man, 25-year-old Marcel "Mars" Somers went on their regular weekend skydiving trip at the Zwartberg airport. The three jumpers would usually hold hands to make a star formation before opening their parachutes but Clottermans apparently remained in the plane to watch Doran struggle with her chute.
A video camera attached to Doran's helmet showed that there were problems with her main chute, as well as her back-up one. Somers watched as Doran plunge 4,500 metres to her death into a garden in the town of Opaglabeek.
Detectives later determined that both parachutes have been deliberately tampered with.
Court psychiatrists declared Clottermans to be a "psychopath" and "a danger to society" after she tried to commit suicide hours before she was to make a second statement to police. She was charged and incarcerated in January 2007 but was released on bail a year later. Her trial began on Friday and is expected to last a month.
Clottermans' lawyer denies the charges and said, "My client has evolved since her release in January 2008 and does not behave like a psychopath. She started working as a teacher."
