Dirk Raats allegedly opened fire on a British family amid complaints that they were creating too much noise while pruning and clearing undergrowth at their property
A Dutchman who was charged with killing an 11-year-old British girl after complaining about noise has died in prison, according to his lawyer.
Dirk Raats allegedly shot at a British family in June last year after a row about noise in Plonevez-du-Faou, a village in Brittany. The Dutchman, in his 70s, was accused of shooting Solaine Thornton and then her father Adrian, 50, in the head.
Rachel, Solaine’s mother, was injured but she and her other daughter Celese, who was eight at the time, managed to get away. Family friend Pierre Leroy told The Daily Telegraph around the time of the killing that Celeste ran for her life and shouted “they’ve killed my sister, and the man shot my dad.”
He continued: “We went straight over there and the girl was dead and the mother was cradling her in her arms and screaming.” The Daily Mail reported Brest prosecutor Camille Miansoni said: “Over the years, there was deep exasperation that led to the drama.”
Miansoni said Raats and his Belgian partner Marlene Van Hook were irritated by the “numerous jobs” Adrian had been carrying out at his property. It is understood he had been pruning and clearing undergrowth.
Both later tested positive for alcohol and cannabis use. Police found two rifles inside the home, one of which was a .22 Long Rifle that is believed to have been used in the killings.
Raats’ partner was charged with failure to provide assistance to a person in danger and was placed under judicial supervision, according to the Daily Mail. His lawyer, Anne Guillerme confirmed he died in prison but did not expand beyond this.
Solaine was killed just two weeks before she and her family were due to return to the UK for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. Villagers said at the time that that the Thornton family would not return to their home following the shooting.
The friend, who did not want to be named, said: “They have spent so much time working on that house, it is absurd someone trying to make their house look better could trigger someone to such a degree that he would try and kill them and tragic they may never want to go back there again.”
Their friend, who knew the family since 2019, said: “Everybody is heartbroken, most people have kids, it hits home more because kids should be able to play in their gardens without fear of getting shot.
“The parents in the village have been rallying round trying to work out what it is we can do tell him from here. It’s so safe here, maybe like Britain was 40 or 50 years ago, you don’t worry that people pop next door to talk to neighbours.
“Our little girl is three and she runs about freely and goes to see the neighbours, playing outdoors on her own. The parents in the village have been rallying round trying to work out what it is we can do tell him from here.”
