The trial of seven teenagers and a 51-year-old man in connection with the death of football linesman Richard van Nieuwenhuizen began in Lelystad on Wednesday.

Van Nieuwenhuizen collapsed several hours after being attacked by a gang of teenagers following a youth match between Almere club Buitenboys and Nieuwe Sloten from Amsterdam in December last year. He died in hospital a day later.

The case opened with a dispute over the cause of death. The public prosecution department’s experts say the linesman died after being kicked and punched.

However, an expert witness for the defence says Nieuwenhuizen had a defect in his carotid artery which could, in exceptional circumstances, also lead to sudden death.

The case, which is being held in public despite the fact most of the defendents are juveniles, has been scheduled to last several days.