HAARLEM, Thursday - A 27 year old woman was sentenced yesterday to eight years in jail for the gruesome 'pressure cooker murder.'

The district court in Haarlem considered it proven that the woman, described as Tamara N., along with a 51 year old man murdered his younger brother in November 1997. The head of the victim was cut off from the body and cooked in a pressure cooker. The body was then put through a meat grinder. The bones were later dumped by the A15 motorway.

The chief suspect is Mehmet Y., the 51 year old brother of the victim. He is said to have also taken the life of his wife in 2002. Her body was believed to have been cut up in pieces and the bones ground up. The body of the woman was never found.

According to the Public Prosecutor (OM), Tamara N. also helped with the murder of the woman. This woman was her best friend, but also her rival in the love she felt for Mehmet Y. The court however considered Tamara N.'s involvement in the second murder was not proven. The sentence of eight years was therefore lower than the 10 years sought by the OM.

The court case against Mehmet Y. was adjourned last month after he lost confidence in his two lawyers. The man, who has already been in pre-trial custody for over two years, denies having committed both murders.