A rejected asylum seeker who killed his girlfriend and a police officer in a Groningen village two years ago has had his jail sentence slashed from 28 to six years on appeal.

Alasam S, 29,  will be sent to a closed psychiatric unit after completing the jail term, the appeal court in Leeuwarden ruled on Thursday

While the lower court ruled the killing was premeditated, the appeal court said he was suffering from an ‘acute psychotic breakdown’ at the time of the murders. He cannot therefore be held entirely accountable for his actions, the court said.

The man, who comes from Benin, had heard he would be deported six days before the killing spree. He battered his girlfriend to death with a fire extinguisher and went on to shoot the police officer with his own gun after a struggle. He also shot at two villagers.

The killings took place in the Groningen village of Baflo, which has a population of 1,800 and is described as a ‘close knit’ community.