Police made crucial mistakes in the Weiteveen double murder case in which two people were shot, an internal evaluation has shown.

Richard K has admitted shooting 44-year-old Ineke and 38-year-old Sam, a couple he came into conflict with following the sale of a house on January 16 last year.

A number of people made a total of 80 reports to police during the conflict, ranging from checking the killer’s gun licence, to complaints about stalking, threats and intimidation. Many of the reports were not linked or were not taken seriously, the evaluation shows.

The different police departments did not communicate adequately and some of the information was not properly logged, which meant police failed to see the conflict was escalating, Noord-Nederland police chief Martin Sitalsing told RTV Drenthe. Recommendations include better registration and sharing of information.

Sébas Diekstra, lawyer for the family of one of the victims, said the police had taken a positive step in admitting failure. “But I don’t believe no one saw this coming. Ineke’s father warned police repeatedly about K having a gun, including to a police chief. This isn’t about changing the protocol but about doing your job,” he said.

The trial against Richard K is scheduled for February 12 and 13.