Cops had to fight to get CCTV of boxer robbery

Police investigating the violent robbery of boxer Amir Khan were left baffled after footage of the raid was obtained by the press before they had seen it, a court has heard.

Mr Khan, 36, was targeted for his £72,000 Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph as he dined with wife Faryal, 31, and friend Omar Khalid at the Sahara Grill in Leyton, east London.

An armed robber ran at Khan and yelled at him to ‘take off the watch’ as the drama unfolded on April 18 last year.

Ahmed Bana, Nurul Amin and Ismail Mohammed, all 25, deny conspiracy to commit robbery while jurors heard Dante Campbell, 21, has admitted to being the gunman.

DC Ben Griggs of the Met’s North-East Robbery and Investigations Unit told Snaresbrook Crown Court he was left bemused after newspapers published CCTV of the robbery which he had been unable to obtain despite a five-hour trip to Leyton to trawl for video the day after the robbery.

Prosecutor Philip Evans asked DC Griggs: ‘Did you embark on, shortly after the robbery, a search for CCTV that was available?’

DC Griggs replied: ‘That is correct.’

Mr Evans continued: ‘Were you surprised when it had all gone viral and that you had not received?’

DC Griggs confirmed: ‘Yes, I was surprised.’

An internal police message by Griggs at the time was read to the court.

He wrote: ‘There is high media interest in this crime as it has gone viral online with many domestic newspapers publishing.’

The officer went on to confirm that he was unable to get footage from a number of businesses which had told him that their cameras were not working.

But he did eventually obtain CCTV from Omar Khalid which he said was filmed by businesses that had not supplied it to the police.

Jurors were also shown CCTV footage which showed a silver Mercedes AMG estate car in the area of the robbery.

Campbell was seen in earlier footage getting out of a similarly described Mercedes which was being driven by Bana.

DC Griggs confirmed his enquiries the day after the robbery found that Hackney Council had impounded a vehicle which matches the description which had been ditched and found that Bana’s cousin was the keeper of the vehicle.

Yesterday (Tues), former light welterweight world champion Mr Khan confirmed he gave a newspaper interview the day after the robbery and said he believed a friend was playing a practical joke.

At the time he said he believed he knew who had ordered the attack.

He told the court: ‘A guy called Bills, Mr Bills that’s what his Twitter name was. His name was Nabil Ditta.’

Asked whether he was shy about his wealth, Mr Khan replied: ‘I am not shy, by working hard you can achieve things like this.’

The Bolton-born fighter had recalled his terror as he was left staring down the barrel of a gun in front of his screaming wife.

‘I am a sportsman, a fighter, I have been put in the toughest situations but this is something different, this is really really scary.

‘When he put the gun to my face I couldn’t recognise him because he had a mask on. I looked away because I didn’t want him to pull the trigger.

‘I didn’t know what he wanted at first, then he said take off your watch. When he said “take off your watch” that’s when he hit me straight away.

‘I took it off straight away and that’s when I handed it to him.’

Campbell, of Hornsey has admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.

Bana, of Hale Gardens, Tottenham, Amin, of Cavendish Road, Finsbury Park, and Mohammed, of Edmonton, all deny conspiracy to commit robbery.

Bana also denies having an imitation firearm.

Khan and Makhdoom married in New York in 2013 and have three children.

The trial continues.