Three men have been imprisoned after stealing a £170,000 diamond-studded Richard Mille watch from fashion designer Catalin Botezatu while he smoked a cigar outside a Mayfair restaurant.
Botezatu, who has previously undergone major cancer surgery involving his heart, said he feared for his life during the attack by Moroccans Ali Eldahouzze, 22, and Abdel El Habchi, 30, outside Amazonico in Berkeley Square on January 28.
The designer, whose career has included work for Versace, was held by the two men while Algerian Younes Djoudi, 34, forcibly removed the Richard Mille watch from his wrist.
Prosecutor Arizuna Asante told Southwark Crown Court that Botezatu was left distressed and alarmed, adding that even a light blow could have posed a serious risk because of his medical history. She described the incident as a terrifying ordeal.
Eldahouzze and El Habchi, who followed proceedings with the assistance of Arabic interpreters, denied the robbery but were found guilty by a jury. Djoudi pleaded guilty. Together, the three men received prison sentences totalling more than 14 years.
El Habchi, a Moroccan social media influencer who also works as a security guard, maintained that he had no knowledge that a robbery was being planned.
Footage posted to his social media profiles shows him wearing a security uniform and indicates that he may previously have worked as a guard at Sainsbury’s.
Eldahouzze had told the court that Djoudi threatened to “set me on fire” unless he took the watch, although he claimed he refused to carry out the demand.
Catalin Botezatu (pictured) was targeted while smoking a cigar outside a Mayfair restaurant and had his £170,000 Richard Mille watch stolen. He is pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court.
(l-r) Algerian Younes Djoudi, 34, and Moroccans Abdel El Habchi, 30, and Ali Eldahouzze, 22, received combined prison sentences of more than 14 years for the robbery.
El Habchi told jurors that he has two million Facebook followers, 350,000 followers on Instagram and 95,000 on TikTok, where he livestreams his travels around London.
Investigators later recovered messages from Eldahouzze’s phone that linked him to the crime, including an image of the stolen watch.
Sentencing the three men, Judge Dafna Spiro said they were each being punished for one robbery involving a high-value watch, committed in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, on January 28, 2026. She noted that the victim was prominent fashion designer Catalin Botezatu.
The judge described the crime as serious, planned and premeditated, stressing that all three defendants remained involved after the watch had been taken.
According to the court, the men met again in Slough around two hours later before travelling together to a North London block of flats, where they stayed for several hours.
Judge Spiro said Botezatu had been confronted and overpowered by the group, pushed against railings and restrained as the watch was taken by force. A sharp object was used during the robbery and caused him injury.
She said the designer had been terrified that he would suffer serious harm, particularly because he had previously undergone cancer surgery and had stents fitted in his heart.
The judge condemned high-value watch robberies as a continuing stain on London and said it was understandable that the attack had discouraged Botezatu from returning to the city.
She identified Djoudi as the leading participant, saying he brought the others to the area, initially approached Botezatu and personally removed the watch from his wrist.
Judge Spiro concluded that the seriousness of the offence meant each defendant could only be dealt with through an immediate custodial sentence.
Mr Botezatu received the limited-edition diamond-encrusted watch for up to €200,000 (£170,000) around 13 years ago and the timepiece would now be worth considerably more.
He said the watch had a high sentimental value as he was given it by a friend who has since died.
Mr Botezatu received the limited-edition diamond-encrusted watch for up to €200,000 (£170,000) around 13 years ago and the timepiece would now be worth considerably more
CCTV footage shows the gang of robbers walk past the Latin American restaurant Amazonico in central London, where Mr Botezatu was smoking outside
Djoudi (left) and El Habchi (right) as seen in CCTV footage shown in court
Eldahouzze pictured on CCTV walking past the restaurant where Mr Botezatu was attacked
Djoudi was jailed for five years and nine months, El Habchi got five years and six months and Ali Eldahouzze was given three years and six months.
He was previously convicted for attempted robbery in Park Lane in 2014 and was handed a 20 month custodial sentence.
In 2017 he was convicted again for attempted robbery in Conduit Street and was handed a 24 month custodial sentence. Both were attempts to steal watches.
‘He has form for this kind of criminality’, said Mr Assante.
Mr Asante said: ‘Djoudi has an active deportation order and has no right to remain in the UK. A foreign national is liable to deportation if a sentence of more than 12 months custody is imposed.’
El Habchi has indefinite leave to remain and is married to a British woman, and Eldahouzze has leave to remain until 2028 and arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child.
Mr Asante said the watch has never been recovered. The watch had a high sentimental value as Mr Botezatu was given it by a friend who has since died.
Mr Botezatu studied under Gianni Versace before launching his own fashion label Delphi back in Bucharest, and has featured at Paris, New York and Milan fashion week.
He also hosted the Romanian version of Next Top Model from 2011 to 2012.
Detective Sergeant Swindles, the Met police point of contact for watch robbery in central London, produced a statement read to the court.
It said: ‘One million pounds worth of watches are stolen every month from people’s wrists, and 20 per cent of watch robberies have had a knife seen or intimated in the past six months.
‘It is clear that whilst our efforts targeting charging and convicting dozens of suspects have improved the figures, the problem still exists.’
