Kim Kardashian to testify in trial of gang accused of tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint

Irish Independent

13-05-2025

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12 minutes ago
The Grandpa gang on trial over Kim Kardashian robbery
A group of men dubbed the "grandpa robbers" stand trial on charges of robbing reality TV star Kim Kardashian at gunpoint and stealing jewellery worth millions of euros during Paris Fashion Week nearly a decade ago.
Several of the accused were of or near retirement age at the time of the 2016 heist, which was considered when it happened to be the biggest robbery involving an individual in France for more than 20 years.
The trial is expected to last for most of a month.
The suspects, wearing ski masks and clothes with police markings, tied up the billionaire celebrity with zip ties and duct tape, before making off with a $4m engagement ring given to her by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West (now known as Ye), and other jewels, according to investigators.
20 minutes ago
'Are we gonna die?' - Kardashian to tell court of horrifying ordeal
In 2020, Kardashian told US talk show host David Letterman about the heist in an interview, fighting back tears as she recalled her fears of being raped that night.
"They kept on saying 'the ring, the ring'," Kardashian said.
"I kept looking at the concierge," she continued, referring to the concierge of the exclusive hotel who had been forced at gunpoint to lead the gang to her apartment.
"I was like, 'Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children, I have babies ... I have to get home'."
'GRANDPA GANG'
Yunice Abbas, 71, who is among the 10 suspects standing trial, many in their late 60s or 70s and dubbed "the grandpa gang," has told French media that he and others who took part in the robbery did not know who Kardashian was.
"It's not her, it's her diamond we targeted," Abbas told C8 TV a few years ago. Abbas has admitted his participation in the robbery - and wrote a book about his role. In interviews with French media, he said he was sorry for what he did and wanted to apologise to Kardashian.
Frank Berton, a lawyer representing 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, nicknamed "Omar the Old," said last month he hoped the fact that Kardashian is a global celebritywouldn't affect the trial. Khedache is accused of being the gang's ringleader, which he denies.
"This trial attracts international attention because of who the plaintiff, the victim, is," Berton said. "What we hope is that it won't change anything in the way the facts are judged."
In all, nine men and one woman are being tried by the criminal court. Five of them - all men - face armed robbery and kidnapping charges and potentially risk being sentenced to life imprisonment. The others are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorised possession of a weapon.
As the robbers escaped on foot or with bicycles, they lost some of the jewellery, including a cross with six diamonds, which a passerby found in the street and brought to the police. But most of the jewels, including the $4 million engagement ring, were never found.
In addition to the 10 on trial, one suspect is too ill to be put on trial at this time and one is dead, prosecutors said.
Reuters
22 minutes ago
Kim Kardashian's stylist recalls 'terror' of Paris robbery ahead of star's testimony
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is set to testify on Tuesday afternoon at the trial of a gang accused of robbing her at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room in 2016 and stealing jewellery worth millions of dollars.
The suspects are accused of tying up the billionaire celebrity with zip ties and duct tape before making off with jewels, including a $4 million engagement ring given to her by her then-husband rapper Kanye West (now known as Ye), according to investigators.
Ahead of Kardashian's testimony, her stylist Simone Harouche, who was asleep in the same luxury hotel flat at the time of the attack, spoke to the court on Tuesday morning.
"We've been friends since we were little girls. So when I heard this sound, it was very different, and it woke me up, because it was a sound that I had never heard from Kim. It was terror," Harouche, who was downstairs in the duplex flat, told the court.
"'I have babies, and I have to live' - that's what I heard her say," Harouche recalled, adding that she rushed to lock herself in the bathroom and texted Kardashian's sister Kourtney and their bodyguard for help.
When the robbers left and Kardashian joined her downstairs, "she was beside herself, I've never seen her like that before," Harouche said. "She just was screaming and kept saying we need to get out of here, we need help, what are we going to do if they come back."
Cameras are usually not allowed in courtrooms in France, and Kim Kardashian's testimony will not be broadcast live.
Juliette Jabkhiro, Reuters
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The suspects are accused of tying up the billionaire celebrity with zip ties and duct tape before making off with jewels, including a $4m engagement ring given to her by her then-husband rapper Kanye West (now known as Ye), according to investigators.
Early on Tuesday, hours before Kardashian's testimony, dozens of journalists queued up to get into the tribunal.
Kardashian told David Letterman about the heist in a 2020 interview, fighting back tears as she recalled her fears of being raped that night.
"They kept on saying 'the ring, the ring'," Kardashian said.
"I kept looking at the concierge," she continued, referring to the concierge of the exclusive hotel who had been forced at gunpoint to lead the gang to her apartment.
"I was like, 'Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children, I have babies ... I have to get home'."
Yunice Abbas, 71, who is among the 10 suspects standing trial, many in their late 60s or 70s and dubbed "the grandpa gang," has told French media that he and others who took part in the robbery did not know who Kardashian was.
"It's not her, it's her diamond we targeted," Abbas told C8 TV a few years ago. Abbas has admitted his participation in the robbery - writing a book about his role. In interviews with French media, he said he was sorry for what he did and wanted to apologise to Kardashian. There is no possibility of a guilty plea in such cases and Abbas is standing trial despite admitting to playing a role in the robbery.
Frank Berton, a lawyer representing 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, nicknamed "Omar the Old," said last month he hoped the fact that Kardashian is a global star won't affect the trial. Khedache is accused of being the gang's ringleader, which he denies.
"This trial attracts international attention because of who the plaintiff, the victim, is," Berton said.
"What we hope is that it won't change anything in the way the facts are judged," he said.