Thugs who stabbed music manager, 32, to death for fake £300k Patek Philippe watch as he celebrated birthday are jailed
A GANG of muggers who stabbed a music manager to death for his fake £300,000 luxury watch have been jailed for a total of 74 years.
Emmanuel Odunlami, 32, was targeted as he left Haz restaurant in central London where he had been celebrating his birthday.
Security guard Kavindu Hettarachchi, who was working the event, spotted the Patek Philippe Nautilus timepiece.
The 30-year-old then tipped off his associates Jordell Menzies, 27, Quincy Ffrench and Louis Vandrose, both 28, who drove to the restaurant armed with knives.
They pounced on dad Emmanuel, who had desperately attempted to flee, but Menzies stabbed him through the heart with a flick knife.
The gang have now been jailed for a total of 74 years at the Old Bailey.
Emmanuel’s mum told the court how her heart still beats for her “one in a trillion” son
Turning to her son’s killers, she said: “They have taken the joy out of my life and I’m always angry and I’m never like this. My heartbeat has changed, and I feel very angry with the world.
“It’s hard to believe he’s dead. These people will come out of prison and live their lives, but two boys have lost their dad and they just walk away. I don’t think that should happen.
“No-one should take a life, only God can do that. How can you take someone’s life? It’s so wrong.”
Menzies was convicted of murder after admitting robbery and manslaughter and received a minimum of 31 years.
Ffrench and Vandrose were found guilty of manslaughter and received at least 15 years each.
Hettarachchi, who admitted theft, was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery and handed a 13-year-term.
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC told jurors previously: “The grim and tragic irony of all this is that there is a good reason to think that the Patek Philippe watch wasn’t even genuine.
“The defendant – although of course he wasn’t to know that at the time – had killed Emmanuel Odunlami for a fake watch.”
Emmanuel, who worked in the music industry managing artists, had organised the birthday event through company Playhxuse with an exclusive table costing £1,400.
The firm had hired Hettiarachichi to work as security for the ticketed brunch and afterparty.
He was seen outside filming the target and summoning Vandrose in a phonecall.
Final words
After receiving the information, the gang “waited for their prey” outside the restaurant.
The group then chased Emmanuel through the city of London and battered him before he was knifed through the heart.
As he lay dying on the ground, one of the thugs said “got it” after the watch had been ripped from the victim’s wrist.
Emmanuel’s friend Daniel told the court he noticed blood all over his pal’s chest after the attack.
He added: “He said: ‘I’m gone’ and collapsed.”
This was a callous and co-ordinated murder of a young man, that has left his children without a father and devastated his family and friends.
Detective Chief Inspector Edelle Michaels
Meanwhile, the killers made their way to Bloomsbury where they changed their clothes before parting ways.
Antonios Kfoury, 22, who was also working as a security guard, made a false statement to police in a bid to cover his friends’ crimes.
When officers raided Hettiarachichi’s home, they discovered fake Rolex watches and an impostor Royal Oak timepiece.
A member of the public also found the knife, which contained Emmanuel’s blood and Menzies’ DNA, by a wall after it was hurled out the killers’ car.
Detective Chief Inspector Edelle Michaels from the City of London Police Major Crime Team said: “This was a callous and co-ordinated murder of a young man, that has left his children without a father and devastated his family and friends.
“Emmanuel should have been able to celebrate his birthday without fear of being attacked because of the watch he wore on his wrist.
“What makes this crime even more startling, is that a man employed to protect people on a night out as a security guard, was looking for victims for his accomplices to attack and rob.
“Emmanuel’s family have now seen all the men responsible for his death brought to justice, but I know their loss will be with them forever and our thoughts remain with them.”
