The suspected ringleader of the ‘Grandpa’ gang accused of stealing $10 million worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian can now barely speak or hear, a court heard.
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 follow proceedings.
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 alleged to have played crucial roles in the robbery that took place after the reality TV star arrived in France for Paris Fashion Week.
Wearing only a bathrobe, and alone inside her $16,000 (£12,000) a-night penthouse, Kardashian feared she was about to be raped or murdered. She was bound, gagged and locked in a bathroom, before her assailants made off with her favourite jewellery, including the $4m (£3m) ring rapper Kanye West had given her to seal their engagement.
The influencer, 44, is due to 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.
The other senior member of the gang to have admitted his role in the robbery 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 accused of being 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 alleged 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 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.
Officers from the elite Banditry Repression Brigade (BRB) of the Paris Judicial Police have expressed frustration at the court delays, having arrested all of the alleged gang members in simultaneous raids in January 2017.
Timetabling problems caused by high-profile terrorist trials caused backlogs and the Covid pandemic caused further delays.
The other defendants appearing on Monday were Marc-Alexandre ‘The Kid’ Boyer, 36, who is accused of going inside the Kardashian flat.
François ‘Big Guy’ Delaporte, 61, is charged with ‘associating’ with the gang, and ‘possessing false administrative documents.’
Gary Madar, 34, was a VIP greeter and celebrity fixer who worked for the car company used by Kardashian when she was in Paris. He is alleged 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 Kardashian. 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 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 accused of being 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 23 May, continues.
