One of the “grandpa robbers” who stole jewellery worth millions from Kim Kardashian has died.
Didier Dubreucq, 69, has died one month after being found guilty of the shocking Paris diamond heist which took place in 2016. He was diagnosed with lung cancer while in detention before going on trial and had been undergoing chemotherapy.
He and nine others were on trial in Paris earlier this year, accused of stealing jewels from the US reality star, including a $4m (£2.9m) diamond engagement ring from her ex-husband Kanye West. Dubreucq and seven others were found guilty of the violent robbery in May.
Dubreucq, who cops nicknamed “Blue Eyes” due to his piercing gaze, received a seven-year sentence from the judge, of which five were suspended. However, he did not spend time in prison after the sentencing as he had already spent two years in pre-trial detention.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He did not appear in court for the sentencing and had previously denied any involvement in the heist. In April, he told the court: “It’s a mistaken identity case… I had nothing to do with this.”
Three others were handed sentences of up to eight years, mostly suspended, but also did not return to prison as they had already served time behind bars. Judge David De Pas while giving out the verdict that “the state of health of the main protagonists ethically prohibits incarcerating anyone”.
The thieves were dubbed the “grandpa robbers” as most of them are in their 60s and 70s. They stole around $10m (£7.5m) of Kim Kardashian’s jewellery, including the engagement ring from her ex Kanye.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family,” Kim said in a statement after the verdicts were handed in court.
Almost nine years ago, Kim Kardashian was held at gunpoint and tied up inside the luxury suite of the hotel room she was staying in during Paris Fashion Week. The SKIMS founder said she was left traumatised by the incident and told the court she feared she was going to be shot dead by the assailants.
When she took the stand during the three-week trial, Kim told the court she thought she “would be shot dead on the bed”. She recalled fearing she would be raped and said a prayer to herself during the terrifying ordeal.
The horror incident took place in the early hours of 3 October 2016. Kim told the court how she had been in town for Paris Fashion Week and had retired for the night at around 3am when two masked gunmen wearing police uniforms burst into her room.
She said she had managed to call her bodyguard but one of the men snatched her phone off of her and took her engagement ring, which had been lying on the bedside table. The TV star said the man “picked me up off the bed and grabbed me and took me down the hallway” in a bid to get more jewellery.
Kim said she was thrown onto the bed and had her hands bound with zip ties. She said she told the hotel concierge: “Please translate to them that I have babies, I have to make it home.”
She recalled how her robe was opened, exposing her naked body, when one of the men pulled her towards him. The star told the court she feared she would be raped but her legs were then tied together and a gun pointed at her.
The billionaire told the court: “I was sure that’s when they were going to shoot me.” She said she was worried about her sister, Kourtney, walking into the hotel room to find that she “would be shot dead on the bed and she would see that and have that memory forever.”
Asked by judge David de Pas if she believed she was going to die, she replied: “I absolutely did think I was gonna die.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
