February 12, 2024, 19:16
Mr. Odunlami was stabbed to death for his watch.
Photo: City of London Police
A “coveted” music boss was stabbed to death over a fake branded watch during an extravagant birthday party.
Emmanuel Odunlami wore a Patek Philippe Notorius imitation watch during a special event to celebrate his birthday in London.
The 32-year-old arrived wearing a Dior jacket and Goyard bag, while other revelers wore Rolex watches.
In May 2022, Kavindu Hettiarachchi, a security guard at a £1,400 table event, spotted a watch and alerted a group of robbers, who jumped out of the Ha’s restaurant near St Paul’s.
read more: Brazen thieves try to steal a luxury watch from a sting operation and are molested by other police officers
Hettiarachchi called Louis Vandrose on the phone, and Vandrose, Quincy Ffrench, and Jodell Menzies ran towards him.
Menzies sprinted towards the 32-year-old music manager and stabbed him in the heart with a lock knife as the victim backed away and fell into a parked car.
Mr. Ffrench bent down, grabbed his watch and said, “Okay,” before the group fled in a Mercedes.
Not recovered.
A well-respected music manager was stabbed at a birthday party.
Photo: City of London Police
Sentencing the 27-year-old defendant at the Old Bailey on Monday, Mr Justice Field said: “This was a carefully planned and sophisticated attack and you played a key role in it.”
Vandross and Ffrench, both 28, were found guilty of manslaughter and robbery.
Menzies, 27, was sentenced to at least 31 years to life for Mr Odunlami’s murder.
read more: The Rolex Ripper uses stolen watches to commit violence, safer and more lucrative than drugs.
Hettiarachchi was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery and sentenced to 13 years in prison, while Vandrose and Ffrench were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Odunlami was “deeply admired, loved and respected” by his two young children, said his fiancée, Rajbir Kaur.
“My happiness was seeing Emmanuel and our children together. I will never experience anything like that again in my life.
“Emmanuel was murdered before he could see his son in uniform.”
Jodel Menzies, 27, from Brent, was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing Odunlami to death.
Photo: Alamy
Kaur added: “He died for something he was passionate about. People should be free to wear what they worked so hard to earn.”
Odunlami’s mother, Christiana, cried as she read out a shocking statement in court.
“I still feel that what happened is punishing our family. I am still in pain and have lost purpose in life,” she said.
“My heart hurts every day for him. I feel like my body is dying. Only my heart is beating.”
Kavindu Hettiarachchi, 31, of Harrow, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for manslaughter and robbery.
Photo: City of London Police
She said that her father sold watches and that she loved watches and fashion.
Chief Inspector Edel Michaels, of the City of London Police, said: “Our hearts go out to Emmanuel’s family and friends who are devastated by the death of a young man who was celebrating his birthday.”
“Those responsible for this cold-blooded and systematic murder deservely received long prison sentences. I would like to thank everyone who worked to bring these people to justice.”
Mr Hettiarachchi’s colleague Antonios Kfoury, 23, was jailed for 18 months for perverting the course of justice after saying there were only four security guards present on the night Mr Odunlami died, instead of five. received punishment.