A violent attacker punched a man until he was unconscious so that he could steal his £145,000 watch.
Lindell Angell, 32, befriended the 51-year-old on the Strand in central London, before persuading him to go to a bar. The pair had drinks and swapped phone numbers before leaving.
Angell convinced the victim to go down a dark side street towards Embankment Tube, where he pounced on the man and wrestled him to the ground, placing him in a chokehold and repeatedly punching him until he lost consciousness.
Angell took the man’s Patek Philippe watch and made off, Southwark Crown Court heard.
The victim was unconscious for several minutes and suffered facial fractures.
A passer-by who found him called for an ambulance. Police say the victim is still recovering from the attack 10 months later.
Angell, of Amhurst Road, Hackney, has been found guilty of robbery and possessing criminal property, and is due to be sentenced on Friday 13 January.
Police used CCTV footage and phone work to identify the attacker, and launched a manhunt.
He was caught and arrested in a hotel room in Euston Road, north London.
Police also seized a stash of cash from a lock-up he had rented.
Detective Constable Gemma Oganian, of the Metropolitan Police, 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.”
Prosecution counsel 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.”
