A London court received report that a music manager who was of Nigerian descent was killed by stabbing after celebrating his birthday with a designer watch worth up to £300,000.
Emmanuel Odunlami, 32, was allegedly attacked by three robbers on May 1, 2022, in the City of London after leaving the Haz restaurant close to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
They claim that Kavindu Hettiarachchi, a security guard, told them that Odunlami was sporting a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch, estimated to be worth between £90,000 and £300,000 if authentic.
Hettiarachchi was a crucial part of the security team that Playhxuse, the event’s organizer, hired for the exclusive ticketed brunch and afterparty with DJ, according to prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC.
“It was part of his role to protect the safety of those, like Odunlami, who were attending the event. In fact, he did the opposite,” the court was told.
The victim, known to friends as Jay, had driven to the city in his grey hatchback Mercedes on the day of his death to celebrate his birthday with friends, having purchased tickets for a £1,400 table.
As the event came to an end around 11 p.m., Hettiarachchi was caught on camera filming outside the venue and calling Louis Vandrose, according to Dailymail.
The court heard that Vandrose and Jordell Menzies were then driven by Quincy Ffrench in a white Mercedes with altered number plates from north west London.
The Prosecutor said: “The evidence shows that Vandrose, Menzies and Ffrench were setting off in a car with a disguised registration in order to carry out a robbery, and their target was at the Haz restaurant where Hettiarachchi was working, and to which by phone he had summoned them.’’
