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Metro
13-05-2025
- Metro
Hunt for armed gang who tried to kidnap crypto tycoon's daughter and grandchild
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video French police have launched a manhunt after an attempted kidnapping in the middle of Paris. Three masked men jumped from a delivery van in the the Rue Pache in the 11th Arrondissement at about 8.20am local time this morning, grabbing the woman and her child. The child's father intervened and fought the kidnappers off, who jumped back into the van and drove away. The van was later found abandoned in a nearby street. Horrific footage filmed from nearby homes captured the woman's screams as the man successfully fought off the wannabe kidnappers, receiving hits as a result. The victim was forced to the ground and was seen kicking out at her assailants as the father of her child joined her on the ground and kept hold of her. One of the attackers appeared to drop a gun as he fled into the back of the van. It's not yet known whether or not the gun was real. As the van drove away, another passerby grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to throw it at the escaping vehicle. French police told local newspaper Le Parisien that the woman is the daughter of the head of a cryptocurrency platform. They did not confirm the specific cryptocurrency platform, or confirm the condition of the woman, who is 34, or her two-year-old child. The Paris prosecutor's office has assigned the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (an anti-banditry brigade) to lead the investigation. This is the third kidnapping linked to the cryptocurrency industry in France so far this year. In January, the co-founder of Ledger and his partner were kidnapped from their home in the Cher region. The kidnappers tortured David Balland and his partner, cutting off one of David's fingers, and demanded a €10million (£8.4million) ransom. More Trending The couple were found a day later, and police have arrested six men and one woman in connection with the kidnapping. Meanwhile on May 1, the father of a crypto entrepreneur was abducted and forced into a delivery van in broad daylight. The kidnappers, who also cut off one of their victim's fingers, demanded a ransom of €5-7million (£4.2-£5.9million). The victim was rescued in a police raid the next day, and five suspects have been arrested. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: French film star Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault MORE: Truth behind President Macron 'cocaine' video revealed MORE: European leaders arriving in Kyiv told to 'shove these peace plans' by Russia
Daily Record
13-05-2025
- Daily Record
Kim Kardashian testifies in court as witness to Paris burglary case
Kim Kardashian's appearance at a Paris court today is expected to cause a media frenzy in the French capital. Kim Kardashian is in Paris to appear in court as a witness to a burglary case which saw her held up at gunpoint with millions of dollars of jewellery stolen. A total of 10 people are currently on trial in the French capital following the 2016 robbery which took place at a luxury suite she was staying at during Paris Fashion Week. The haul which was stolen from the reality star included a a $4m (£2.9m) diamond engagement ring which she had been gifted by then-husband Kanye West. Business woman Kim, 44, was said to have been 'completely hysterical' and in a 'state of complete terror' during the ordeal, according to night receptionist Abderrahmane Ouatik. He appeared as a witness on Monday, where he also stated a 'very nervous' man had pointed a gun at the star as he added: 'He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified.' According to the BBC, three people were keeping watch in the reception of the exclusive Hotel de Pourtalès in central Paris while two other men forced Ouatiki to take them to the mum of four's room. He said he too had been scared for his life because of the erratic behaviour of the robber, and he added he was irritated by Kardashian's screaming. When the group got to Kim's room, the witness said that they demanded she handed over the ring, as well as other jewels worth up to a total of $9m. The BBC reports three men were arrested around three months later, as were several others who were thought to be accessories to the crime. The robbers have been nicknamed the "Grandpa robbers" because many are in their 70s and have serious health issues. The defence team are reportedly pursuing an argument that the crime was committed by bumbling, elderly burglars who were not aware of the fame of Kim Kardashian or the rest of the family. According to the reports, 12 appeared in court but one died in March and another was excused for health reasons., with one undergoing chemotherapy and another reported to have "visible tremors". Out of the 10 that remain, two are denying involvement in the burglary. The stolen jewellery was never found but police reckon the pieces were broken up and sold on. Aomar Ait Khedache, 68, is the alleged ringleader, the BBC reports, and he has had to write down his answers when questioned on the stand, and these were then projected on to a screen, due to the fact the alleged perpetrator is deaf and mute. The lead investigator of the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (Banditry Repression Brigade) special unit said last week: "They may have made mistakes but they were still a decent team." He added that Kardashian's feet and ankles were tied up with cable ties and she had tape on her mouth. He also revealed that they had used burner phones and allegedly had a car parked nearby. "That was well done," he said. "They pulled it off, because they managed to flog the goods and palm off a $4m ring in Antwerp, which isn't that easy. it's also reported that Kardashian was taken to a bathroom in the property during the terrifying ordeal, and was wearing a bathrobe and the belt came undone. Kim's lawyer Léonore Hennerick asked witness Ouatiki to go into more detail, but he replied: "You have to respect the victim, I think." Ouatiki also described one of the alleged perpetrators as being "dangerous" as he was "stressed and shouting". He added he was an interpreter between the group and Kardashian as he wanted to "calm things down" and "didn't know what he was capable of". Simone Bretter, Kardashian's friend and stylist who was staying in the same suite but on a different floor to Kardashian, will take the stand on Tuesday morning. She was present during the ordeal but hid when she realised the burglars had entered. it's reported that around 500 journalists are accredited for the trial and Kim's appearance is set to attract huge media attention. Jeetendr Sehdev, celebrity expert and the author of The Kim Kardashian Principle, told the BBC: "Testifying will allow her to reclaim agency in this situation and rewrite the ending. "In 2016 she was the punchline. But in 2025 testifying is going to turn her into the narrator."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kim Kardashian to appear in court as witness in Paris burglary case
Kim Kardashian is due to appear in court in Paris later today as a witness in a burglary case dating back to 2016, when she was held up at gunpoint and had millions of dollars' worth of jewellery taken from her. The reality TV star and business woman, 44, is expected to take the stand in the afternoon to give her version of events of the burglary, which saw her tied up and held at gunpoint in a luxury suite where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week. Jewels worth millions of dollars were taken from her, including a $4m (£2.9m) diamond engagement from then-husband Kanye West. Ten people are on trial, which began last month. On Monday, witness Abderrahmane Ouatiki, the night receptionist who says he was marched up to Kardashian's hotel suite and made to translate the burglars' demands, said the American star was "completely hysterical" and "in a state of complete terror" as a "very nervous" man pointed a gun at her. "He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified," said Ouatiki. He added he too had feared for his life as the burglar was acting erratic and was clearly irritated by Kardashian's screaming. Three people reportedly kept watch in the reception of the exclusive Hotel de Pourtalès in central Paris while two other men forced Ouatiki to take them to Kardashian's suite, where they demanded she give him the ring and also stole other jewels for a total of $9m. The men were arrested three months later alongside several other people thought to be accessories to the crime. Twelve were eventually due to appear in court, although one died in March and another has been excused due to health reasons. Of the remaining 10, all but two deny any involvement in the burglary. The jewels were never found but police think they were broken up and sold on. French media have dubbed the defendants the "grandpa robbers" as several are in their 70s. Many also have serious health problems. One is undergoing chemotherapy, while another had visible tremors. The alleged ringleader, Aomar Ait Khedache, 68, was questioned last week but is deaf and mute and had to write his answers down with a pen and paper which were projected on to a screen. Since the trial opened on 28 April, prosecutors have sought to dispel the image of hapless elderly burglars – who reportedly did not know their victims was a hugely famous celebrity. "They may have made mistakes but they were still a decent team," said the lead investigator of the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (Banditry Repression Brigade) special unit last week. He noted that the burglars tied up Kardashian's feet and ankles with cable ties and stuck tape on her mouth, and they took a car to park near the scene of the crime and used burner phones. "That was well done," he said. "They pulled it off, because they managed to flog the goods and palm off a $4m ring in Antwerp, which isn't that easy," he added. In his testimony, Ouatiki also painted a frightening picture of one of the burglars who he said was wielding a gun and was "stressed and shouting… You feel that's someone that can be very dangerous." Ouatiki acted as an interpreter between the man and Kardashian and said he did his best to "calm things down as I didn't know what he was capable of". When the burglars tied up Kardashian and took her to the bathroom, she was only wearing a bathrobe and the belt came undone, the court heard. Asked by Kardashian's lawyer Léonore Hennerick to describe the moment, Ouatiki declined to go into detail. "You have to respect the victim, I think," he said. Referencing that moment in an emotional interview in 2020, Kardashian told American journalist David Letterman that she thought she was going to be sexually assaulted. "I was like, 'Okay, this is the time I'm going to get raped'," she said. She added that she feared for her life and that she was worried for her sister Khloe, who was out at a club: "I'm gonna be dead in the room and she's gonna be traumatised for the rest of her life." Instead, the burglars grabbed her ring as well as various other jewels, phone and €1,000 in cash and ran off. Kardashian was quickly able to untie herself and her bodyguard arrived shortly after. She gave a statement to police in the early hours of 3 October and immediately flew back to the US. For his part, Ouatiki – an Algerian national who at the time was a PhD student in semiotics – said he suffered greatly from speculation in the media that he may have been in on the heist. "The suspicion was very heavy to bear," he told the court. Ouatiki told French media he lost his student status shortly after the heist and had to go back to Algeria, where he was diagnosed with PTSD. "It was a catastrophe, my life fell apart," he told Le Point. On Tuesday morning, Simone Bretter, Kardashian's friend and stylist, will take the stand. She was staying in the same suite during the heist but was on a different floor and hid when she realised burglars had broken in. Almost 500 journalists are accredited and Kardashian's testimony is set to attract huge media attention. "Testifying will allow her to reclaim agency in this situation and rewrite the ending," said Jeetendr Sehdev, celebrity expert and the author of The Kim Kardashian Principle. "In 2016 she was the punchline. But in 2025 testifying is going to turn her into the narrator," he told the BBC.
