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Two men convicted of £137k watch theft

PA Media A close up picture of a diamond encrusted watchPA Media
This Richard Mille watch was cut from Catalin Botezatu's wrist outside a restaurant

Two men have been found guilty of robbing a fashion designer of his £137,000 Richard Mille watch, which was cut from his wrist as he left a Mayfair restaurant.

Ali Eldahouzze, 22, and Abdel El Habchi, 30, were part of a plot to target Romanian entrepreneur Catalin Botezatu in Berkeley Square just before midnight on 28 January.

Botezatu described how he was pushed and confronted by the thieves, and told Southwark Crown Court: "I feared for my life."

Lead robber Younes Djoudi pleaded guilty before trial. Eldahouzze and El Habchi claimed they did not know the robbery was about to take place and were in fear of reprisals from Djoudi. A jury convicted them both of robbery after a nine-day trial.

All three men are now remanded in custody until sentencing on October 16.

PA Media Fashion designer Catalin Botezatu - a middle aged man in a dark blue suit -leaving Southwark Crown CourtPA Media
Catalin Botezatu said he feared for his life when he was approached by the thieves

The trial heard how Botezatu was accosted after he left Latin American restaurant Amazonico.

Prosecutor Arizuna Asante said Botezatu was smoking with a friend near to his car when the robbers approached.

"The three males surrounded Mr Botezatu and robbed him of his watch by wresting it from his left wrist," he said.

"It is believed a knife was used to cut through the rubber strap because the victim had cuts on his wrists after the watch was taken."

Giving evidence from behind a screen, Botezatu, from Bucharest, said he was pushed into the fence and then restrained.

"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," he said.

He told the court: "I couldn't believe that something like this could happen in London, in front of a luxury restaurant where I was a client.

"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."

PA Media A CCTV image of three men walking down a street past a building where a man is smoking outsidePA Media
A CCTV image of Djoudi, Eldahouzze and El Habchi walking past Amazonico, with Botezatu smoking outside

The court heard Botezatu was given the watch about 13 years ago by a friend.

"It had a lot of sentimental value, it came from a very good friend of mine who is unfortunately no longer with us and it was a birthday present," he said.

El Habchi, a social media influencer in Morocco, told the court he did not realise the robbery was about to happen and claimed to have played no part in it.

Eldahouzze suggested Djoudi had threatened to "set me on fire" if he did not snatch the watch, but he still said he refused.

Police later found incriminating messages on Eldahouzze's phone, including a picture of the stolen watch.

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