A court has been show footage of the moment former world boxing champion Amir Khan was robbed at gunpoint for his £70,000 ($84,400), diamond-encrusted watch.
Robbers attacked the 2004 Olympic silver medallist, 36, and his wife Faryal Makhdoom, 31, as they left the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton, east London, on April 18 last year.
Khan was forced to hand over his rose gold, diamond-encrusted Franck Muller watch, worth between £60,000 and £70,000, by gunman Dante Campbell, 20, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
Khan, who was a unified world champion at light-welterweight, said he looked into the handgun’s barrel when the armed robber pointed the weapon in his face and told him: “Take off the watch.”
The robbery, which lasted only seconds, was captured on security footage played to the jury trying Ismail Mohamed, 24, Ahmed Bana, 25, and Nurul Amin, 25, who all denied they were involved.
Khan, who lives in Dubai, is smiling, with a blue sweater draped over his shoulders, as he leaves the restaurant with his wife.
The couple, who star in BBC 3 reality-TV show Meet the Khans, cross the road towards a waiting car, driven by the sportsman’s friend, Omar Khalid, while two robbers get out of a silver Mercedes coupe parked in front.
As Khan goes to open the passenger-side door, a hooded man jogs towards him, raising his right arm to point the gun at the Bolton-born boxer, who hands over his watch.
The robbers then run off back to the Mercedes, which drives off as members of the public rush towards Khan.
Khan, who retired last year with a professional record of 34 wins from his 40 fights, earlier told jurors his wife was left “screaming and crying” after the robbery.
“[I was] really scared. I have got three kids," he told the jury. "My wife was next to me as well. Really, really scared.
“I’m a sportsman, I’m a fighter. I have always been put in the toughest situations when I go into the ring and fight someone, but this was totally different, very, very scary.”
Mr Mohamed, from Edmonton, Mr Bana, from Tottenham and Mr Amin, from Harringay, which are all in north London, deny conspiracy to rob.
Bana also denies possessing an imitation gun.
The gunman, Campbell from Hornsey, also in north London, has pleaded guilty to the charges, the jury has been told.
Mr Bana is alleged to have been the driver of the silver Mercedes, which dropped Campbell and another unknown robber at the scene before serving as the getaway vehicle.
Mr Amin and Mr Mohamed, along with another man who is not on trial, are said to have acted as “spotters”, dining in the restaurant to keep track of Khan’s movements and relay them by phone to Mr Bana.
The trial continues.
