Two Men Convicted Over £137k Richard Mille Watch Robbery in Mayfair
- Fashion designer Catalin Botezatu faced a life-threatening encounter in central London when three men targeted him outside a Mayfair restaurant on January 28, cutting a £137,000 Richard Mille...
- Ali Eldahouzze, 22, and Abdel El Habchi, 30, were found guilty of robbery by a jury after prosecutors detailed how Romanian entrepreneur Catalin Botezatu was ambushed just before...
- Testifying from behind a screen at Southwark Crown Court, Botezatu described the physical confrontation that left him with wrist lacerations.
Fashion designer Catalin Botezatu faced a life-threatening encounter in central London when three men targeted him outside a Mayfair restaurant on January 28, cutting a £137,000 Richard Mille watch directly from his wrist, according to court proceedings reported by the BBC and The Independent. Two of the men involved in the Berkeley Square robbery were convicted following a nine-day trial at Southwark Crown Court, while a third defendant had already pleaded guilty ahead of the court proceedings.
The Mayfair Robbery and Trial
Ali Eldahouzze, 22, and Abdel El Habchi, 30, were found guilty of robbery by a jury after prosecutors detailed how Romanian entrepreneur Catalin Botezatu was ambushed just before midnight outside the Latin American restaurant Amazonico, as reported by the BBC. Lead robber Younes Djoudi entered a guilty plea before the trial began. According to prosecutor Arizuna Asante, the three attackers surrounded Botezatu while he smoked with a friend near his vehicle, wresting the luxury timepiece from his left wrist. The Independent noted that court footage showed the perpetrators watching the victim earlier in the evening as he stood in the restaurant’s smoking area. All three convicted men remain remanded in custody awaiting a sentencing hearing scheduled for October 16, according to BBC and Independent reports.
Victim Testimony and Injuries
Testifying from behind a screen at Southwark Crown Court, Botezatu described the physical confrontation that left him with wrist lacerations. The man in the middle had a sharp instrument, I don’t know what, and he cut me. He cut the watch strap as well,
Botezatu told the court, according to BBC reporting. Investigators believe a knife was used to slice through the rubber strap during the struggle, leaving the victim with cuts on his wrists after the timepiece was removed. Botezatu expressed profound shock at the incident, stating via The Independent, I couldn’t believe that something like this could happen in London, in front of a luxury restaurant where I was a client.
The victim emphasized the severe medical risks he faced during the attack due to his pre-existing health conditions. I feared for my life because of my cancer operation and because I have five stents and because the slightest blow or cut, God forbid, where I was operated, could have been fatal,
Botezatu testified, as documented by both the BBC and The Independent. He added that the stolen timepiece held immense sentimental value, having been gifted to him approximately 13 years prior by a close friend who has since died.
Defendants’ Claims and Evidence
During the trial, the defendants offered varying explanations for their involvement in the Berkeley Square ambush. El Habchi, identified in court reports as a social media influencer in Morocco, told jurors that he did not realize the robbery was going to happen and claimed he played no part in it, according to the BBC and The Independent. Despite these defenses, police investigators recovered incriminating messages from Eldahouzze’s mobile phone, which included a digital photograph of the stolen Richard Mille watch, according to the BBC.
