The family of a Bradford man fatally shot in Amsterdam said they have finally got closure after an inquest was held yesterday – a decade after his death.

David Royle, 37, who had lived in West Bowling before going abroad to buy and sell cars for a living, was gunned down at a secluded spot in the docklands area of Amsterdam in 2001.

The inquest in Bradford heard how the dad-of-two, who had been planning to move to Malaga, Spain, had driven to the area with a man who he was going to pay money to.

Both men were part of a “criminal milieu”, the hearing was told. In 2006, the other man, named as Anthony Spencer, was cleared of Mr Royle’s killing by a Dutch court after he claimed self-defence.

The inquest heard parts of a transcription from the Dutch court, where a witness at the time said he had heard shots from outside the car, then saw the two men get out. Mr Royle’s passenger, Mr Spencer, looked as if he had been beaten.

Mr Spencer was then shot, it is believed by a third party, and he then, believing Mr Royle and others were “after him”, turned and shot Mr Royle in the chest.

He later claimed to have seen something shiny in Mr Royle’s hand.

Blasted in the chest, Mr Royle had tried to escape, but collapsed and died a short distance away.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said because words such as “plausible” and “probable” had been used to describe what was claimed to have happened on that day, he could not justify recording a verdict of unlawful killing and recorded an open verdict.

He paid tribute to Mr Royle’s sister, Melanie Royle, who was at the inquest and had kept up correspondence with the Dutch authorities which he felt had been “careful” in their handling of the case as a result. He told her: “I know the whole saga has been harrowing and I have admired the way you have dealt with it.”

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