Judge brands Hoogstraten a murderer after civil hearing

Published on Tuesday 20 December 2005 01:25

THE property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten was condemned in court as a murderer yesterday - two years after he was cleared of killing a business rival.

A High Court judge ruled that the multi-millionaire, who took pride in his ruthless reputation, recruited two "highly dangerous thugs" to murder Mohammed Raja in order to halt a civil action Mr Raja was bringing against him.

"Mr Raja had at all times shown himself resilient, ready to resist threats and to complain to the police," said Mr Justice Lightman.

"Nothing less than murder would rid Mr van Hoogstraten of this thorn in his flesh."

The judge said: "His purpose in murdering Mr Raja has not been achieved because, contrary to his expectations, Mr Raja's family have been as resilient as was Mr Raja in his lifetime in standing up to Mr van Hoogstraten."

Yesterday's ruling is central to a civil action being brought against the property baron by the dead man's family.

They are seeking more than 6 million, including damages, under the civil action started by Mr Raja, and compensation over his assassination.

The judge ordered Mr van Hoogstraten to pay 500,000 interim costs on an "indemnity" basis - the highest scale of costs and often regarded as punitive - within 14 days.

In applying for indemnity costs, Peter Irvin, for the Raja family, had told the judge: "Your judgment shows Mr van Hoogstraten to be a cowardly and murderous thug who will stop at nothing to preserve his miser's hoard."

The lawsuit against Mr van Hoogstraten returns to court for a procedural hearing on 11 January.

The judge aims to conclude the entire case by the end of February.

After yesterday's hearing, the Raja family said in a statement: "Naturally, we are very pleased with the court's findings, but it has been a devastating and uphill struggle to get here."

Mr Raja, 62, was in the process of suing Mr van Hoogstraten over a business deal at the time of his death.

He was stabbed and shot after answering the doorbell at his home in Sutton, south London, on 2 July, 1999.

His killers, Robert Knapp and David Croke - who were, according to yesterday's judgment, Mr van Hoogstraten's henchmen - are serving life for murder.

Mr van Hoogstraten, 60, was sentenced to ten years at the Old Bailey in 2002 for manslaughter, but his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.

He was not in court or represented during the civil proceedings.

He is believed to have gone to Zimbabwe, where he has business interests.

Whether he will now return to this country remains unsure.

The judge said yesterday that, while Mr van Hoogstraten's business address was the Courtlands Hotel - one of seven hotels he owned in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex - he had made his home in Zimbabwe "where he is a substantial landowner and investor and a friend of those in power".

The judge said: "Mr van Hoogstraten is a man who, when thwarted [as he has admitted] can become very, very angry."

He had no compunction against using violence to achieve his ends - for instance, knifing a tenant and beating up his accountant.

He had publicly stated that, in dealing with people who got in his way, he went for direct retribution. One witness, who had known Mr van Hoogstraten for many years, described him as having a psychopathic personality.

Mr van Hoogstraten's suggestion that his reputation was the product of a media campaign to demonise him was "groundless", the judge said.

His reputation was "very much his own deliberate creation".

The judge said the murder of Mr Raja had "the hallmarks of a contract killing by hitmen" and there was no evidence that anyone other than Mr van Hoogstraten had any motive for the murder.