Amsterdam student’s death unlawful, coroner says

The stabbing death of a student during a trip to Amsterdam was unlawful, a coroner has concluded.

Danny Castledine, 22, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, suffered 44 wounds near the Single Canal in the early hours of June 1, 2022, after stopping off in the town with a friend on the way to a concert in Belgium.

A Belgian national, known as Nongo B, was jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of murder Following a trial in a Dutch court in January.

“The medical cause of death appears to me to be multiple stab wounds,” assistant coroner Nathanael Hartley told Nottingham Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.

Det Con Gina Farrell, of Nottinghamshire Police, told the hearing that Mr Castledine and his friends separated just after 01:00.

“Danny then walked around the town centre, and it appears he met the man, who we call the defendant, between 1.40am and 2.12am.

“Danny accompanied the defendant to where it appeared a confrontation occurred between Danny and the defendant.

“It is believed that this is where he carried out the attack, before he dragged her down the stairs to the basement flat.

“One of the hypotheses that came forward is that the defendant attempted to rob Danny, but there was no evidence to confirm that.”

The court was told that Mr Castledine’s body was found at the bottom of the stairs by a pedestrian at about 03:30.

Mr Hartley said Mr Castledine was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering “defensive injuries” and “severe blood loss” caused by a knife wound to the neck.

The coroner told the court that the post-mortem examination also said other knife wounds “may have contributed to death due to blood loss”.

Ms Farrell told the hearing that a man was found in the south of Amsterdam who was “confused” and “covered in blood”, and he was arrested and taken to a police station.

He said police tested blood on the man’s clothing, which matched Mr Castledine’s blood.

Mr Castledine’s sister Chloe told the inquest that her brother was “happy-go-lucky, just wanted to enjoy his life”.

“It is a shame that her life ended this way in a foreign country as she loved travelling.

“Everyone loved her, no one had a bad word to say about her. She trusted everyone and assumed everyone was out to have a good time like she was.”