Man found guilty of 'brutal' £145k watch robbery that left victim unconscious in west London

Lindell Angell is seen walking with his victim before he attacks him on the Strand in central London

A man has been convicted over a Patek Philippe watch robbery that left his victim unconscious.

Lindell Angell, 32, of Hackney befriended his 51-year-old victim on the Strand in central London in January and convinced him to go to a nearby pub, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The pair had drinks for two hours and swapped phone numbers before leaving to head home, with Angell convincing the man to head down a dark side street towards Embankment Tube, the Metropolitan Police said.

It was there that Lindell launched an unprovoked and violent attack on his victim, placing him in a chokehold and repeatedly punching him until he fell unconscious. He then removed the man's £145,000 watch and ran off.

A member of the public who found the victim called the London Ambulance Service.

Angell was found guilty of robbery and possessing criminal property on Monday.

Prosecution lawyer Sue Obeney, said: "Angell had purported to befriend the victim, spent a couple of hours in a pub, accepting his generosity, and finished by robbing and leaving him unconscious on the road.

"At every turn he denied responsibility for the robbery”.

He was arrested in a hotel room in Euston Road, central London, on Monday 6 February.

Police then found a secure lock-up filled with cash that was hired out six days after the attack. The money was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Detective Constable Gemma Oganian, who led the investigation, said: "This was a brutal robbery which not only resulted in serious physical harm, but many months after the offence, the victim continues to recover from the psychological trauma.

"People should be able to walk the streets of London and not fear this type of crime.

"We are doing everything in our power to ensure our streets are safe, and want to strongly reaffirm this to the public we serve. We will proactively investigate and seek tough sentences for offenders like Angell."

Angell will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday 13 January 2023.

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