A handful of the 800 people arrested during the New Year festivities appeared in fast-track courts in The Hague, Utrecht, Rotterdam and Amsterdam on Friday.

The first suspect was a man from The Hague who kicked a police officer while being arrested. He was jailed for four months, two suspended. He was also placed under curfew for this year’s celebrations and ordered to pay the policeman €250 compensation.

In Rotterdam, a 41-year-old man who threw a bottle at police was jailed for 10 months, four suspended.

The judge said the incident was an attempt to inflict severe injuries on the officer concerned, the Telegraaf reports. The man claimed to remember nothing of the incident, saying he was under the influence of drink and drugs.

Fireworks

In Utrecht, a 29-year-old man was jailed for three months, one suspended, for hitting a police officer who was arresting his nephew. The youth was jailed for four weeks, two suspended, for throwing fireworks at the police.

In Amsterdam, a 27-year-old man who hit and spat at Dutch railway workers was found guilty of assault but freed. The court ruled the three days he spent in jail was sufficient punishment but also ordered him to pay €150 in compensation, the Telegraaf says.

The courts have been told to be tough on New Year revellers, with sentences increased by 200% for attacks on emergency service workers.

The Hague

Meanwhile, The Hague’s mayor Jozias van Aartsen said in an interview with Nos television he would like to see more being done to combat the use of illegal fireworks.

‘On some occasions you should be talking about munitions, not fireworks,’ Van Aartsen said. However, the mayor said he did not support a ban on consumer fireworks.