Liverpool man ‘wanted for murders’ killed in the Netherlands, inquest told

A Liverpool man wanted for two murders died after being shot in the Netherlands, the inquest heard.

Paul Parker, 52, died on June 1 in Heerhugowaard, North Holland.

Anita Bhardwaj, coroner for Sefton, St Helens and Knowsley, who opened her inquest at Bootle Town Hall on Thursday, said: “It is my understanding that while Paul was in the Netherlands he was believed to have been involved in an altercation over weapons which resulted in his death.”

The coroner’s court was told that the provisional cause of death given by Dutch authorities was a gunshot wound.

Earlier this month, Dutch police said two men were arrested following a “shooting and stabbing incident” at a business.

Local media outlets reported that Mr. Parker was linked to the murders of Pieter Hoovers and his wife Tae, who were shot in Amsterdam in 2017.

He was never arrested in connection with the deaths, but a cold case team released details in 2024 that the couple were likely murdered by a “British criminal”.

At the opening of the inquest, which lasted only a few minutes, it was stated that Mr Parker was born in Liverpool but had no fixed place of residence as no address was given to the coroner.

Ms Bhardwaj said she was identified by Merseyside Police using fingerprints.

The coroner’s court heard that no family members attended the opening of the inquest but they had been informed of the hearing.

Ms Bhardwaj adjourned the investigation to December 18 and said she would await the outcome of any investigation in the Netherlands.