Brief
Three men jailed for stealing £170,000 Richard Mille watch from London designer
The trio were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court after a January 28 robbery that left the victim fearing for his life.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Three men have been sentenced to a combined total of over 14 years for robbing a high‑profile fashion designer of a £170,000 diamond‑encrusted Richard Mille watch outside the Mayfair restaurant Amazonico on 28 January 2026, Daily Mail reported.
The victim, Catalin Botezatu, a designer who has worked for Versace, was smoking a cigar on the pavement when he was approached by two Moroccan men, Ali Eldahouzze, 22, and Abdel El Habchi, 30. Both men were aided by Arabic interpreters, according to the court record. While they restrained Botezatu, Algerian Younes Djoudi, 34, seized the watch from his wrist.
Prosecutor Arizuna Asante told Southwark Crown Court that Botezatu, who had previously undergone major heart surgery for cancer, felt “alarmed and stressed” during the attack and that even a light punch could have been fatal. Judge Dafna Spiro described the robbery as “planned and pre‑meditated” and noted that the defendants regrouped hours later in Slough before travelling together to a North London flat where they remained for several hours.
All three defendants were convicted. Eldahouzze and El Habchi denied the robbery but were found guilty by the jury; Djoudi admitted the charge. The court heard that Eldahouzze claimed Djoudi had threatened to “set me on fire” if he did not take the watch, though he said he refused. El Habchi, a Moroccan social‑media influencer with a background as a security guard, said he had no prior knowledge of the robbery. Police later recovered messages on Eldahouzze’s phone, including a picture of the stolen watch.
Judge Spiro sentenced each man for a single offence of robbery of a high‑value watch. The sentencing remarks highlighted Botezatu’s vulnerability due to his recent heart surgery and the use of a sharp implement that caused injury during the assault.
Key facts
- Three men were sentenced to a combined total of more than 14 years for the robbery. (dailymail.co.uk)
- The victim was fashion designer Catalin Botezatu, who had recently undergone major heart surgery. (dailymail.co.uk)
- The stolen item was a £170,000 diamond‑encrusted Richard Mille watch. (dailymail.co.uk)
- The robbery took place outside Amazonico restaurant in Berkeley Square, Mayfair on 28 January 2026. (dailymail.co.uk)
- Defendants were Ali Eldahouzze (22), Abdel El Habchi (30) and Younes Djoudi (34). (dailymail.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Thieves who robbed £170K Richard Mille watch from designer are jailed”
