The suspected ringleader of the ‘Grandpa Robbers’ gang that stole £10million-worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian can now barely speak or hear, a court was told today.
Aomar Aït Khedache, 70, has admitted using a revolver in the raid on the reality TV star’s Paris penthouse in 2016.
But – despite being arrested and charged within a few months – his trial for ‘armed robbery in an organised gang’, ‘kidnap’ and ‘criminal conspiracy’ alongside nine others only opened in the French capital on Monday.
One of the original 12 defendants due at the Paris Assizes died last month, and another can no longer be judged because he is suffering with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Those remaining are complaining of a range of other serious ailments, from throat and lung cancer, to acute heart conditions.
Because of their frailties, all have been allowed to prepare for the high-profile Paris Assizes trial at home, after being bailed from their remand cells at least five years ago.
Aït Khedache – who is nicknamed ‘Old Omar’ – has been ‘declared 80% disabled,’ said his defence barrister, Chloé Arnoux.
Ms Arnoux added: ‘He still wanted to be in court,’ as a screen with subtitles was placed in front of him, so that he can could follow proceedings.
Aomar Ait Khedache (centre) arrives at the opening day of the trial against suspects in the armed robbery of Kim Kardashian – his lawyer said he has been ‘declared 80% disabled’
Yunice Abbas arrives on the first day of his trial with 9 other people accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian
Naked except for a bathrobe, and all alone inside her £12,000-a-night penthouse, Kim Kardashian feared she was about to be raped or murdered as the gang members stole her jewellery (pictured)
When Judge David de Pas, the president of the bench, asked for Aït Khedache’s date of birth, he wrote it on a piece of paper, and the words and numbers also appeared on a screen.
Aït Khedache’s son – alleged getaway driver Harminy Aït Khedache, 38 – has already complained that ‘having my disabled father appear before the Assizes Court is a source of stress.’
The Frenchmen are both said to have played crucial roles in the robbery that subjected terrified Ms Kardashian after the American arrived in France for Paris Fashion Week.
Naked except for a bathrobe, and all alone inside her £12,000-a-night penthouse, she feared she was about to be raped or murdered.
Instead, Ms Kardashian was bound, gagged and locked in a bathroom, before ‘Omar & Co’ made off with her favourite jewellery, including the $4million ring rapper Kanye West had given her to seal their engagement.
Ms Kardashian, who is now 44, will herself appear in the witness box in the middle of May.
Until then, presiding judge Armelle Briand is anxious to avoid any major health scares in court.
Aït Khedache, who was first imprisoned on drug offences at the age of 14, was released from a remand cell in April 2020 because of heart problems.
Aomar Aït Khedache, 70, admitted to using a revolver in the raid on the reality TV star’s Paris penthouse in 2016
Aït Khedache’s lawyer said ‘he still wanted to be in court,’ as a screen with subtitles was placed in front of him, so that he can could follow proceedings
An accused robber arrives at the Palais De Justice wearing a face mask to be trialled along nine others for the theft
Abderrahmane Ouatiki (C) arrives with his lawyers Henri de Beauregard (L) and Mohand Ouidja (R) for the start of the trial for the 2016 robbery
Gary Madar – who is also on trial – was a VIP greeter who regularly met stars as they arrived at Paris Le Bourget airport by private jet
Christiane Glotin was another suspect who trialled today for the robbery
Gabriel Dumenil, lawyer of Yunice Abbas, talks to journalists during a break on the first day of the trial
Margot Pugliese, one of the lawyers of Harminy Ait Khedache, is seen during a break on the first day of the trial
Franck Berton and Chloe Arnoux, lawyers of defendant Aomar Ait Khedache, arrive for the start of the trial
Joseph Hazan, lawyer of defendant Harminy Ait Khedache, is seen at the Palais De Justice earlier today
Mohand Ouidja (R) and Henri de Beauregard (L), lawyers of plaintiff Abderrahmane Ouatiki, speak to the press before the start of the trial
Ms Kardashian, who is now 44, will herself appear in the witness box in the middle of May (pictured in Paris in 2016)
The room in the Hotel de Pourtalès in Paris where Ms Kardashian was staying when the gang broke in
MailOnline revealed yesterday that one of the original 12 defendants, alleged career criminal Marceau Baum-Gertner, 72, due at the Paris Assizes died last month
The other senior member of the gang to have pleaded guilty is Yunnis Abbas, 72, who has written a book called I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian.
He underwent a triple heart bypass operation during one spell in prison, and is still ‘in extremely bad health,’ said a member of his legal team.
Convicted drug smuggler Didier ‘Blue Eyes’ Dubreucq, 69, is said to be the second robber to enter the Kardashian’s penthouse, along with ‘Old Omar’.
The heavy smoker now has lung cancer, and was the first to be released from his remand cell following his arrest in connection with the Kardashian heist.
Christiane ‘Cathy’ Glotin, 78 is a long-term career criminal who is said to have helped organise the Kardashian heist, and allegedly travelled to Antwerp to sell the swag.
The heavy smoker is currently being treated for throat cancer, as well as back and heart problems.
Florus “Flo” Héroui, 52, was the bar manager of Le Tabloid – a Paris café where he allegedly passed on information about Ms Kardashian’s movements in Paris to Old Omar.
Héroui is said to have exercised his right to silence during a custody period, and is now complaining of heart problems.
A senior member of the gang who pleaded guilty was Yunnis Abbas, 72, who has written a book called I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian
The robbers received a tip that a ‘big American star was coming to town’ and that she was showing off her fabulous wealth on Instagram. That tip allegedly came from from Florus Héroui (above), who ran a bar in Le Marais
Marceau ‘Rough Nose’ Baumgertner (left) is a suspected gang memeber and Didier ‘Blue Eyes’ Dubreucq (right) is said to be the second robber to enter the Kardashian’s penthouse
François ‘Big Guy’ Delaporte (left) is charged with ‘associating’ with the gang, and ‘possessing false administrative documents’ and Pierre ‘Big Pierrot’ Bouianère (right) is another suspected gang member
Héroui is said to have got precise information about Ms Kardashian’s movements during Paris Fashion Week from Gary Madar (above), a VIP greeter who regularly met stars as they arrived at Paris Le Bourget airport by private jet
Michael Madar, Bodyguard Pascal Duvier and Gary Madar are seen at Charles-de-Gaulle airport on September 29, 2016 in Paris
Bodyguard Pascal Duvier, Gary Madar and Kourtney Kardashian are seen at Charles-de-Gaulle airport on September 29, 2016 in Paris
The suspected ringleader of the ‘Grandpa Robbers’ gang that stole £10million-worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian admitted to using a revolver despite he is now barely speak or hear
Officers from the elite Banditry Repression Brigade (BRB) of the Paris Judicial Police have expressed frustration at the court delays, having caught all of the alleged gang members in simultaneous raids in January 2017.
Timetabling problems caused by high-profile terrorist trials caused backlogs, and there were also fears that a Kardashian process would destroy the upmarket Paris tourism industry at a time of prestige five-star events, right up until last summer’s Olympics.
The other defendants appearing on Monday were Marc-Alexandre ‘The Kid’ Boyer, 36, who was said to have gone inside the Kardashian flat.
Boyer was sentenced to six years for drug offences in 2013, but cleared on appeal, and let out out of prison in July 2016, just three months before the Kardashian heist.
François ‘Big Guy’ Delaporte, 61, and a convicted drug trafficker and counterfeit bank note dealer is charged with ‘associating’ with the gang, and ‘possessing false administrative documents.’
Gary Madar, 34, was a clean-cut VIP greeter and celebrity fixer who worked for the car company used by Ms Kardashian when she was in Paris.
He is said to have provided detailed information about her movements to the heist gang.
Marc Boyer, 62, the father of Marc-Alexandre Boyer, is charged with ‘possession of a category B firearm without authorisation’ – namely the German World War I Mauser 7.65mm pistol used to attack Ms Kardashian.
The 12 alleged gang members said they arrived and left on push bikes with the jewellery that has still not been recovered
Chilling images (pictured) show the gaffer tape used to gag the star and bind her hands while the gang carried out the robbery
Armed police standing guard outside the exclusive set of apartments in the French capital
A suspect in Kim Kardashian West’s Paris robbery is brought to BRB building, Brigade de Repression du Banditisme in 2017
A suspect in Kim Kardashian West’s Paris robbery is brought to BRB building, Brigade de Repression du Banditisme in 2017
Other suspected gang members have died, got cancer or have late-stage Alzheimer’s (pictured in December 2016 allegedly ‘sharing the loot’at a Marais cafe)
Boyer Senior allegedly pulled out of the Kardashian robbery at the last moment, and was replaced by his son.
All the defendants, apart from Aït Khedache and Abbas, deny any wrongdoing.
There were originally 12 alleged gang members but Marceau Baum-Gertner, the alleged super fence, ‘died suddenly’ last month at the age of 72.
He made a number of trips to Antwerp to sell Kim Kardashian’s jewelry, according to investigators who had placed a GPS tracker on his car.
His death came after threats were made to him, allegedly by mafia gang members who bought the Kardashian property, which has never been recovered.
Pierre Bouianère, 72, and considered one of the ‘brains of the operation’ by prosecutors is also now excluded from the trial, because of his Alzheimer’s disease.
The trial, which is due to go on until May 23rd, continues.
