Mayfair watch robbery trial: defendant says ringleader threatened to 'set me on fire'

A man accused of robbing a fashion designer of a £137,000 Richard Mille watch in Mayfair claims he was threatened into taking part. The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court.

Defendant claims death threats forced him into Mayfair watch robbery

Ali Eldahouzze, 22, told jurors at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday that co-accused Younes Djoudi threatened to kill him and "set me on fire" if he refused to participate in the robbery of a diamond-encrusted Richard Mille watch worth £137,000, the Daily Express reports.

Eldahouzze and Abdel El Habchi, 30, are accused of targeting Romanian fashion entrepreneur Catalin Botezatu outside the Latin American restaurant Amazonico in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, on the evening of 28 January. Shortly before midnight, Mr Botezatu was smoking a cigar on the terrace with his assistant and a friend when, prosecutors say, three males surrounded him and wrestled the watch from his left wrist. Prosecutor Arizuna Asante told the court a knife is believed to have been used to cut through the rubber strap, as the victim sustained cuts to his wrists.

Eldahouzze told jurors that Djoudi had issued explicit instructions and threats. "He was threatening me, cursing my mother, threatening that he would kill and set me on fire," he said. "I was looking at the floor, I was very scared." He added that he struggled to understand Djoudi's precise instructions, saying: "I'm Moroccan and I couldn't understand exactly what he meant."

The prosecution contends that Eldahouzze assisted Djoudi by pushing Mr Botezatu and grabbing hold of his arm. Eldahouzze denied any physical contact, telling the court: "As soon as I saw what he was doing, I just fled." He said he also feared for his life after leaving the scene. "That evening, I thought he was going to do something to me, going to kill me or set me on fire while I was at home," he said.

El Habchi, described in court as a social media influencer in Morocco, told jurors he and Eldahouzze had been travelling from Slough to Soho when Eldahouzze received a call from Djoudi directing them to meet in Mayfair. El Habchi told Southwark Crown Court last week that he had "no idea" of any plan to steal a watch before it was snatched.

Djoudi has already pleaded guilty to robbery. El Habchi and Eldahouzze each deny one count of robbery.

In his evidence, Eldahouzze said that associates of Djoudi took his phone following the robbery, and that messages were sent and photographs taken from it — including an image of the stolen watch. El Habchi told jurors that Djoudi met the pair the following morning and had the watch with him at that point.

The trial continues.

Source: Daily Express