Wealth manager who stole footballer Edgar Davids’ £188,000 art collection then failed to turn up to court ‘after passing out from luggage landing on her head’ is to be sentenced
A wealth manager who stole footballer Edgar Davids' £188,000 art collection failed to appear at Wood Green Crown Court for her sentencing after her legal team said she was hit on the head by luggage on her way to the airport in Belgium and hospitalised with concussion. Nabila Habiby, 39, had pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud after taking 37 artworks belonging to the former Tottenham and Barcelona midfielder, which she had been trusted to store during his 2014 house move, and pawning them without his knowledge. The judge, who found the medical evidence "inadequate," adjourned the case rather than sentence Habiby in her absence, meaning the matter remains unresolved nearly five years after she was first charged.
Habiby secured £31,500 in loans against Davids' collection, which included pieces bought from New York's Opera Gallery, after he gave her the keys to his Hertfordshire home; he only discovered the theft when a buyer in Hong Kong messaged him on Instagram. She had previously tried and failed to withdraw her guilty pleas, delaying an earlier sentencing hearing in March, and had been warned she faced up to 34 months in prison. Her case has now been referred back to the original judge and rescheduled for 23 September, by which point she must supply a full medical report explaining her absence.
- Wealth manager Nabila Habiby missed sentencing over stolen Edgar Davids art
- Defence cited head injury from luggage, hospitalisation abroad
- Judge adjourned case; new sentencing date set for 23 September
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Nabila Habiby, a 39-year-old wealth manager, admitted stealing an art collection worth £188,000 belonging to Edgar Davids, the former Netherlands, Tottenham and Barcelona footballer. She had been given access to his Hertfordshire home to help with a move in 2014, but instead took 37 artworks and pawned them for loans without his knowledge, only coming to light when a prospective buyer contacted him directly.
Habiby pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and has already faced delays in having her case resolved, including an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw her guilty pleas earlier this year. She had been warned she could face a prison sentence of up to nearly three years.
The case is being heard at Wood Green Crown Court, and centres on the legal process of sentencing someone who has already admitted the offence, rather than establishing guilt. It matters as an example of how trust placed in a financial professional can be exploited, and how court proceedings can be delayed even after a guilty plea has been entered.