Teenage machete attacker tried to threaten Northampton victims into staying quiet through Snapchat

One post was simply a picture of the victim's address and the caption: "Come outside". Another read : "Cool your snitching I'm back out now - you better drop the case you silly boy."
Daniel Koopman jumped out of a BMW X5 in a balaclava and attacked his victim with a machete. The victim said the blade was 'as long as a leg'.Daniel Koopman jumped out of a BMW X5 in a balaclava and attacked his victim with a machete. The victim said the blade was 'as long as a leg'.
Daniel Koopman jumped out of a BMW X5 in a balaclava and attacked his victim with a machete. The victim said the blade was 'as long as a leg'.

A Northampton teenager who slashed another youth with a machete went on to threaten his victims on Snapchat to scare them into keeping quiet.

Daniel Koopman, of Flaxwell Court, jumped his victim outside Briar Hill Primary School after piling out of a BMW with another attacker before lashing out with a machete "as big as a leg".

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But when the injured young man went to the police, Koopman - who was 19 at the time - began a campaign of threatening Snapchat and Facebook posts intimidate his targets into dropping the case.

Northampton Crown Court heard on Friday (February 12) how one post was simply a picture of the victim's address and the caption: "Come outside".

Another read : "Cool your snitching I'm back out now - you better drop the case you silly boy."

"These threats posted on social media get around instantly," His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo told Koopman in sentencing.

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"These threats are even more sinister when they share and seen by hundreds of your contacts."

In the attack in July 2020, the victim and a female friend were walking on outside the Briar Hill Primary School on Ashbrow Road at 9pm when a BMX X5 pulled up.

Koopman and anotehr attacker - both wearing balaclavas - jumped out the car and approached the two on the pavement.

While one attacker held the victim from behind, Koopman swung a machete at him once and cut him across both forearms.

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In court, prosecutor Mr Gregor Purcell said the young man thought he was going to die. He described the machete as being "as long as a leg".

In the days that followed, Koopman began his campaign of Snapchat, Instagram and Whatsapp posts to frighten his victim.

They included videos of driving past his address. The captions read "talk get stitches".

When Koopman was arrested, he told officers someone had created a fake account and was just trying to get him in trouble. He later pleaded guilty to wounding and intimidating witnesses on the day of his trial.

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In court, Mr Purcell told the judge: "There is seemingly nothing to justify what went on that night."

To this, Koopman, who appeared from HMP Nottingham via live video link, muttered: "That's not true." The remark was ignored by the court.

Judge Mayo said in sentencing: "A custodial sentence is inevitable."

Koopman - who is now 20 - was handed a four year detention order.