All eyes are set to be on Kim Kardashian today when she takes the stand to testify in a ‘grandpa robbery’ trial, almost a decade on from allegedly being held at gunpoint
Kim Kardashian was allegedly robbed at gunpoint and had millions of dollars’ worth of her jewellery taken from her when she was staying in a hotel in Paris on October 3, 2016. Today, she’s set to revisit what she has described as the “scariest thing” she’s ever been through in her life. The businesswoman and reality television star is expected to testify this afternoon to give her version of events of the ordeal, which saw several men posing as police officers storm into her hotel suite where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week and steal a reported $10million in jewellery. This included her beloved diamond engagement ring worth $4 million from her ex-husband, Kanye West. Kim, now 44, claimed she was held at gunpoint with tape over her mouth, put in her luxury suite’s bathtub and had her wrists tied. The mother, who broke her silence in January 2017, believed she was going to be killed.
READ MORE: Kim Kardashian ‘unbearably terrified’ when armed robbers burst into Paris hotel room, court told
Yesterday, (Monday, May 12) witness Abderrahmane Ouatiki, who was the hotel receptionist, told the court he was marched up to Kardashian’s hotel room and was made to translate the robbers’ demands. He said she was “in a state of complete terror” and “completely hysterical” as a “nervous” man directed a gun at her. Ouatiki added: “He was very aggressive and she was utterly terrified.” The night receptionist also stated he feared for his life, too, as the burglars were evidently irritated by Kardashian’s screaming. The court heard three people kept watch in the reception of Hotel de Pourtalès while two other men made Ouatiki take them to Kardashian’s suite, where they demanded she give up her engagement ring and stole other jewels. They were arrested three months after the ordeal alongside several others thought to be accessories to the robbery. A total of 12 people were due to appear in court, but one died in March and another was excused from the proceedings due to health reasons. All but two of the remaining 10 deny any involvement in the crime.
Kim Kardashian broke down in tears while talking about her Paris robbery(Image:
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The precious jewels were never found, but the French authorities have reason to believe they were broken up and sold on. The case has been called the “grandpa robbers” trial due to five of the suspects being pensioners. Aomar Ait Khedache, the 68-year-old alleged leader of the gang, was questioned in court last week but had to write his answers down as he’s deaf and mute. The court heard that when Kardashian was tied up, she only wore a bathrobe, and the belt came undone. Ouatiki declined to discuss this in detail when her lawyer, Léonore Hennerick, asked about it. He just said: “You have to respect the victim, I think.” Recalling that moment with journalist David Letterman in an emotional interview in 2020, Kardashian said: “I was like, ‘Okay, this is the time I’m going to get raped.'” She also told Letterman she feared for her life and for her older sister, Kourtney Kardashian, who was in Paris with her.
Source: Mirror
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