An Irish billionaire\u2019s London home was burgled twice in the space of just four days with thieves getting away with jewellery, cash, luxury handbags and designer clothes worth an estimated \u00a31.25m (\u20ac1.45m), a court has heard.<\/p>\n
Paul Coulson\u2019s Knightsbridge townhouse, which is close to the grounds of Buckingham Palace, was broken into repeatedly in December last year.<\/p>\n
One of the culprits, Ali Lamnouar, 46, was caught on CCTV twice entering the property with large holdalls to load up with valuables on December 5 last year, Southwark Crown Court heard.<\/p>\n
He was initially accused of being responsible for stealing all of the goods, valued at \u00a31.25 million (\u20ac1.45m), which went missing from Mr Coulson\u2019s home.<\/p>\n
But prosecutors later said they could only be sure he stole possessions such as jewellery, designer handbags and clothes valued at \u00a3163,835 (\u20ac188k) when they realised the home had been burgled a second time just days later.<\/p>\n
Lamnouar, who lives in Chelsea, has pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary \u2013 from Mr Coulson\u2019s home and a raid worth just under \u00a350,000 (\u20ac58k) on another London property while the owner was inside.<\/p>\n
Recorder Elliot Gold said he was identified over the burglary at Mr Coulson\u2019s \u00a38.7m (\u20ac10m) home thanks to CCTV from that night, on December 5 2025, and evidence from his mobile phone linking him to being in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving visited it (the property), he returned into the view of the CCTV carrying large black holdalls with straps which he put on the pavement\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCCTV shows him entering the property on two occasions carrying four holdalls.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the initial hearing of this matter on February 20, the case was opened by the prosecution on the basis that the value of the items stolen was (\u20ac1.45m).<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the course of that hearing, it was said that the address had probably, between December 5\u20138, been burgled twice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n