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Watch thieves steal £1m a month from wrists in London's West End, court told
Overview
Police have informed Southwark Crown Court that an average of £1m worth of high-value watches is stolen from victims' wrists every month in London's West End. The disclosure came during the sentencing hearing of three men—Younes Djoudi, Ali Eldahouzze, and Abdel El Habchi—who stole a £137,000 diamond-encrusted Richard Mille watch from Romanian businessman Catalin Botezatu outside a Mayfair restaurant in January.
Key points
- An average of £1m in watches is stolen from people's wrists in London's West End monthly, according to Metropolitan Police figures.
- Police noted that a knife was seen or implied in a fifth of watch robberies over a six-month period, with many victims physically assaulted.
- Mayfair and Knightsbridge were identified as robbery hotspots, with a third of incidents occurring around the West End's night-time economy.
- Younes Djoudi, Ali Eldahouzze, and Abdel El Habchi targeted Catalin Botezatu, cutting his watch from his wrist with a sharp implement outside the Amazonico restaurant.
- The stolen watch, a £137,000 Richard Mille timepiece given to Botezatu as a birthday gift, has not been recovered.