An inquest opened into the death of Paul Anthony Parker, a Liverpool man living in the Netherlands, has confirmed he died from a gunshot wound following an altercation involving weapons. Parker, 52, who was suspected of a double murder in Amsterdam, was killed in Heerhugowaard on June 1 this year.
Inquest Details
Anita Bhardwaj, senior coroner for Sefton, St. Helens and Knowsley, stated at Bootle Town Hall that Parker was believed to have been in an altercation involving weapons that led to his death. Due to the unnatural nature of his death, a formal inquest is required. Further proceedings are scheduled for December 18 for review or conclusion, pending information from an ongoing investigation in the Netherlands.
The inquest, lasting less than five minutes, heard that Parker was born in January 1974 in Liverpool. Due to a lack of information from Europe, his address was given as no fixed abode.
Background of the Incident
Dutch media reported that Parker entered a business, believed to be a garage in Heerhugowaard, to collect a debt, leading to a fight involving guns and knives. Initial reports suggested he was stabbed, but the cause of death was confirmed as a gunshot wound. The Daily Mail reported that Parker was armed with a knife, and two men, aged 44 and 65, were arrested afterward in hospital.
Connection to Double Murder
At the time of his death, Parker was wanted over the murder of Dutchman Pieter Hoovers, 62, and his partner, Tae Kawepanya, 32. The couple, living in Thailand, were ambushed in an Amsterdam flat while on holiday. Regional broadcaster NH and newspaper Parool reported that investigators believed Parker was the man sought for the killings.
An Amsterdam cold case team released information in May 2024 that the couple was probably killed by a British criminal. CCTV footage showed the suspect three times on the day of the murders. Investigators said the gunman was dropped off at the scene in different cars each time. The working assumption was that the victims were not home during the first visit, so the killer returned. A third visit was to erase traces. A €20,000 reward was offered for information.
Hoovers, who had a background in martial arts, founded Outland Records before selling the business and relocating to Thailand in the mid-1990s. A photo published by the Mail showed Parker on a boat with Hoovers, suggesting a prior friendship.
Parker's Criminal History
Parker was believed to have left the UK around the turn of the millennium. He and his brother David were jailed for their part in the killing of 17-year-old Phillip Green during a botched drug deal in Walton Hall Park. Green was stabbed in the heart while trying to buy cannabis. The Parker brothers were recorded discussing their roles, but a third man delivered the stabbing. Both were jailed for five years. Paul Parker later received an additional three months for remaining unlawfully at large for four months.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who died in the Netherlands and are in contact with the local authorities.'
