Moroccan influencer who robbed diamond-encrusted £170,000 Richard Mille watch from fashion designer as he smoked cigar outside Mayfair restaurant faces jail
A Moroccan social media influencer and two other men face jail after being convicted of robbing an internationally known fashion designer of his £170,000 Richard Mille watch outside a Mayfair restaurant. Catalin Botezatu, who has worked with Versace, was smoking a cigar with a friend outside Amazonico in Berkeley Square when he was ambushed by Abdel El Habchi, 30, and Ali Eldahouzze, 22, who restrained him while Younes Djoudi, 34, cut the diamond and crystal timepiece from his wrist, leaving him with cuts and bruises. The case matters as a high-profile example of violent "watch jacking" targeting wealthy figures in central London, with the trial exposing an alleged joint enterprise involving surveillance of the victim beforehand.
Eldahouzze and El Habchi denied robbery but were unanimously convicted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court, while Djoudi had already pleaded guilty. El Habchi, a security guard who has previously worked for Sainsbury's and holds a large social media following, claimed he had no idea a robbery would take place, while Eldahouzze alleged Djoudi threatened to "set him on fire" if he refused to help. Botezatu had owned the limited-edition, diamond-encrusted watch for around 13 years, having received it as a gift worth up to €200,000 from a friend who has since died; he told the court he feared for his life during the attack. Judge Dafna Spiro remanded both men in custody ahead of sentencing, expected on 16 October.
- Fashion designer Catalin Botezatu robbed of £170,000 watch in Mayfair
- Influencer Abdel El Habchi and accomplice convicted of robbery
- Sentencing due 16 October; third man already pleaded guilty
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Moroccan fashion designer Catalin Botezatu, who has worked with Versace, was attacked outside the Amazonico restaurant in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, while smoking a cigar. Three men were involved: Abdel El Habchi and Ali Eldahouzze allegedly held him while Younes Djoudi cut a £170,000 diamond-encrusted Richard Mille watch from his wrist, leaving him injured. Djoudi had already admitted his part, while El Habchi and Eldahouzze denied robbery but were convicted by a jury.
The case has drawn attention because it fits a pattern of so-called "watch jacking", where thieves target wealthy individuals wearing high-value luxury watches, sometimes after tracking their movements beforehand. Richard Mille watches are especially prized by collectors and can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, making their owners a recognised target for organised theft in areas like Mayfair.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court examined how the men allegedly worked together, with defendants offering conflicting accounts of who knew what in advance. Sentencing is due in October, and the outcome is likely to be watched closely given the case's links to a wider concern about violent watch robberies targeting affluent figures in London.