A French court is set to deliver its verdict today in the high-profile trial of 10 individuals accused of orchestrating a violent robbery against American reality TV star Kim Kardashian in Paris nearly nine years ago.
The defendants — nine men and one woman — have been standing trial since April over the infamous 2016 heist in which Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint of nearly $10 million worth of jewelry while staying at a luxury hotel in central Paris.
Recall that on the night of October 2-3, 2016, the then-35-year-old star was tied up, gagged, and held at gunpoint by masked intruders who stormed her private apartment.
Among the items stolen was a 3.5 million euro diamond ring, a gift from her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. The robbery was described as France’s largest theft against a private individual in two decades.
Four of the accused are alleged to have carried out the robbery, with prosecutors requesting 10-year prison sentences for them, including the suspected ringleader, Aomar Ait Khedache, also known as “Old Omar.”
Now 69 and nearly deaf, Khedache admitted to tying Kardashian up but denied leading the operation. His defense has argued that a prison sentence at his age would amount to a life term.
The accused, mostly aged in their 60s and 70s, have been dubbed the “Grandpa Robbers” by the French media, due to their advanced ages and old-school criminal nicknames like “Blue Eyes” and “Old Omar.”
Many of them are said to be veterans of France’s underworld, reminiscent of characters from classic film noir.
Kardashian, who testified before the court earlier this month wearing a jeweled necklace, described the harrowing ordeal in vivid detail.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said, recounting the fear she felt when the robbers stormed in with weapons drawn.
Despite the trauma, Kardashian showed a gesture of forgiveness toward Khedache after hearing a letter of apology he wrote.
“I forgive you for what has taken place,” she told the court. “But it does not change the emotion, the feelings, the trauma, and the way my life changed.”
Another defendant, Yunice Abbas, who authored a book titled “I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian,” expressed deep regret for his involvement.
Now battling Parkinson’s disease, Abbas told the court that participating in the heist was “one job too many” and claimed it opened his eyes to the consequences of his criminal lifestyle.
Defense attorneys for the accused have pleaded for leniency, citing their clients’ age, remorse, and declining health.
The court is expected to allow the defendants a final opportunity to speak this morning, with a verdict anticipated later in the evening.
The trial has drawn significant global media attention, with crowds regularly gathering outside the Paris court in the historic Ile de la Cité, eager for a glimpse of the celebrity or updates on the proceedings.
Kardashian, who has since pursued a career in law, announced on social media Thursday that she had completed law school after six years of study — a symbolic closure as the long-running case nears its conclusion.
