A Moroccan influencer is facing jail after helping rob a leading fashion designer of his £170,000 Richard Mille watch while the victim smoked a cigar outside an exclusive Mayfair restaurant.
Designer Catalin Botezatu struggled with his attackers as Abdel El Habchi, 30, and Ali Eldahouzze, 22, set upon him, before Younes Djoudi, 34, sliced the diamond-and-crystal timepiece from his wrist.
Mr Botezatu, who has previously worked for Versace, told the court he feared for his life when the gang struck as he stood outside Latin American restaurant Amazonico in Berkeley Square with a friend on January 28.
The designer said the three men approached him shortly before midnight, with Eldahouzze and El Habchi restraining him while Djoudi removed the luxury watch.
He was left with cuts to his wrists after one of the robbers slashed through the watch’s rubber strap to tear it away.
Eldahouzze and El Habchi, who both used Arabic interpreters during proceedings, denied robbery but were found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court. Djoudi had already admitted the offence.
El Habchi, a Moroccan social media influencer who also works as a security guard, insisted he had no knowledge that a robbery was about to happen.
Footage posted to his social media accounts shows him wearing a security uniform and indicates he has previously worked as a guard at Sainsbury’s.
He told jurors he was born near Casablanca in Morocco and entered the UK by spouse visa in March 2019 after marrying a woman called Amy, with whom he shares two children.
Catalin Botezatu (pictured) was robbed of his £170,000 Richard Mille watch as he smoked a cigar outside a Mayfair restaurant
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
El Habchi, a Moroccan social media influencer who is also a security guard, claimed he had absolutely no idea that a robbery was to take place
Eldahouzze claimed Djoudi had threatened to ‘set me on fire’ if he did not snatch the watch, but he still said he refused.
He told jurors he has two million followers on Facebook, 350,000 on Instagram, and 95,000 on TikTok, where he livestreams himself going around London.
Police later found incriminating messages on Eldahouzze’s phone, including a picture of the stolen watch.
Judge Dafna Spiro told El Habchi and Eldahouzze: ‘You have been convicted unanimously by the jury of this offence, of which you are both clearly guilty, and having been found guilty I now need to sentence you which I will most likely do on the 16 October.
‘In the meantime, you will be remanded in custody.’
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.
Prosecutor Arizuna Asante said the three thieves were part of a joint enterprise to rob the designer after they scoped out their target outside the eatery that night.
Videos on El Habchi’s social media accounts show him in uniform and suggest he has previously worked as a guard at supermarket Sainsbury’s
The gang of robbers walk Amazonico in central London, where Mr Botezatu was smoking outside
Djoudi (left) and El Habchi (right) as seen in CCTV footage shown in court
Hollywood fashion designer Catalin Botezatu, pictured at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival
Mr Botezatu was leaving Amazonico in Mayfair, London, when he was ambushed
Assisted by a Romanian interpreter, Mr Botezatu gave evidence from behind a screen as he went through photographs of his injuries.
He said: ‘That’s the first scratch, there was another scratch on the other side of my wrist but unfortunately it’s not here [in the photo].’
Mr Botezatu said bruises on his back occurred when he was ‘pushed into the metal railings where I was attacked’.
He said: ‘I used my arm to protect my operation and they pushed me into the railings.’
Under cross examination Mr Botezatu raised his voice as he said: ‘I could become emotional but I don’t want to do this. My life was in danger.’
He went on: ‘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.’
He demonstrated what happened to jurors and said: ‘I tried to defend myself like this, they cut the strap with a sharp object.’
Mr Botezatu said his assistant chased them for about 500m before the trio split up.
Asked if he saw the muggers’ faces, he said: ‘It was not the desert, it was in the middle of London in Mayfair and even if I didn’t see the faces of these criminals I do remember because hey ho, I am a fashion designer, I remember how they were dressed.’
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.
All three men were remanded in custody until sentencing on October 16.
