Mayfair Luxury Watch Robbery: Three Jailed for Knifepoint Heist of £140,000 Richard Mille

Three men have been sentenced to a combined total of 14 years and nine months in prison for a violent street robbery in London's affluent Mayfair district. The trio targeted a man in Berkeley Square, stealing a Richard Mille watch valued at £140,000 at knifepoint. The incident occurred shortly before midnight on January 28.

The Metropolitan Police investigation, which included analysis of CCTV footage, revealed the men arrived in a vehicle before carrying out the robbery. The footage showed the group fleeing the scene and subsequently boarding a train to Slough, where they resided. The vehicle's identification led police to Younes Djoudi, 34, who was apprehended the day after the attack following a short foot chase. Phone data from Djoudi subsequently helped officers identify the other two suspects a week later.

Younes Djoudi received a sentence of five years and nine months. Ali Eldahouzze, 22, was sentenced to five years and six months, and Abdel El Habchi, 30, was given three years and six months. All three men pleaded guilty to robbery at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

This sentencing comes as the Met Police continue efforts to combat watch and phone robberies, which have been described as an epidemic by politicians. The force reports that its campaign against violent crime is yielding results, with robberies in London decreasing by 12.8 percent. Recent incidents highlight the ongoing challenges, including a Mayfair case where a man pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, attempted robbery, and possession of a knife following an alleged attack on a Saudi visitor, prompting a warning from the Saudi embassy to its citizens. In March, two men were also jailed for robbing a man of his Patek Philippe watch in Mayfair.